I wish we had a decent growing season here. Looks like we're 2a. Understanding cold-hardiness and hardiness zones
Its funny I was just thinking of you and how you were probably colder than here. Its interesting when you drive a few hours east of us the weather improves and growing is much better. The joys of living in the mountains I guess!
Sometimes you don't have to go far for the weather to improve that's for sure. Saskatoon is about 70 miles south of here, and their temps are usually 5-6 degrees C warmer. The only thing that grows easily here is potatoes, and resentment. I'm not too much of a sissy when it comes to the weather, but I do wish it was easier to grow hot peppers. That's a labor of love in these parts.
I remember going ice fishing in the valley here for kokanee salmon on one Saturday and then on the next day I went to the "south country" and went fly fishing in my little boat in a lake for rainbows and thats only 1 hour south west of us.
Most people over water their peppers. That can cause diseases in the plant that kill them and ruin the peppers. Peppers like heat, and can handle low watering.
That's what I thought also.... The peppers got black streaks and the plants got black spots in the wye where the branches attached. I'll try less watering
Less water means hotter peppers! Or so I've been told..... And speaking of last fires, I just built a fire this morning while watching snow fall a couple of days after it hit 75. Welcome to March!
Sometimes, I wonder if "March Madness" is because of the basketball or the weather. Am thinking weather at the moment.
I lit a fire last night using uglies. My wife kept it going while i was splitting wood. Today I brought back some nice dry elm from my buddy's place. It's going very nicely in the quadrafire tonight. I'd guess it's 75 or so in the stove room. Love it.
Been doing without a fire for a few days, but winter has returned briefly. Rain mixed with snow flurries today. 67 degrees inside was enough reason to fire-up this evening. Thermo sitting at 73 now
Probably could have had our "last burn" last Sunday, but it got too late to go get a load from the stack, so I cheated and turned on the heat pump . It wasn't that cold anyway, but probably will be cleaning out the firebox for the last time this weekend. Even northern North Carolina has few cold spells this far into the year. BUT, spring and summer just means more firepit time and getting rid of all these damm brush piles that seem to pop up over the winter!
My official last burn was this morning (unless we get a freak cold spell). There were only enough sticks and small uglies left in my stack inside to fill the firebox about 1/2 what I normally burn, it should generate enough heat to last through today and maybe part of tonight (high of 49° today). After that the 10 day forecast looks warm enough for the heat pump to run efficiently. In total I used just under a cord this year, less than a third of what I typically burn.
