Weather Whiplash 2019

In full transparency I didn't coin the short phrase "weather whiplash." They got it right though describing Colorado and many other states around the country this spring season. The whiplash I'm referring to was over two days - Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday April 10 along the Colorado Front Range. On Tuesday we reached 79 sunny degrees, the next day the high was 59 that morning with afternoon rain, snow and worry about smashed crocus and daffodils. Nighttime temperatures were predicted to be in the low twenties.

I was also concerned about the tiny arugula seedlings and recently seeded cool season leafy greens. Not to worry, gardening in Colorado brings to mind another handy phrase - "quick cover" using easy to install tunnels.

There was plenty of time on balmy Tuesday afternoon to put the inexpensive half-inch pvc plumbing conduit in place over the raised bed. Next, the floating row cover over the conduit served as insulation and protection from the buckets of moisture predicted (they predicted correctly).

Successful gardening in Colorado would be very difficult without floating row cover to protect seedlings from cold or hail. They're also handy to use shade cloth in place of frcovers for hail (when temps warm up). Or later in the summer when the plants need a bit of shade with ninety-five plus days. During the fall season they serve as season extenders - keeping warm season plants warm on cool nights below fifty degrees. Simply said, I like the flexibility of quick cover tunnels, they work very well. I remain jealous of a garden friend in Lakewood who installed permanent posts (in concrete) over his vegetable garden area with a built in pulley system that operates shade cloth for hail and heat protection. He said he got hailed out too many years so decided to fix the problem permanently. I need to get some pictures Jim!
  
Check out the video I did a few years ago with The Denver Post on making your own tunnels. Click here. 

Notice in the photo below how the fall planted garlic in the foreground is green and happy, it came through this recent spring storm without batting an eye. 

Buckle up hardy gardeners, they're predicting more storms and snow next week, plenty of time to get your tunnels in place!

Snow over Tunnels 4-10-2019

Early Spring Planted Onions and small Arugula seedlings in Tunnels - A Okay from Cold and Snow!

Old Laundry Baskets work well to Protect Cool Season Vegetable Transplants OR Spring Bulbs