The Lion of Winter continued into early March, although it seems like Spring maybe starting to break a bit. The temperatures are still quite lower than the average (by some 10 or more degrees) and most of the snow remains. The little good news is that with the passing of this last snowstorm and Polar Vortex, it is looking a bit better in the not too distant future. Only time will tell if the forecasts are correct.
The most immediate task will be to get the greenhouse and hoop houses dug out of the snow and ready for seed starting. Until Spring is really here, most seeds will need to get a start indoors, but some can’t stay indoors too long. Leggy tomatoes are ok but the brassicas really need full sun to get a good start.
On the livestock front, the chickens are really anxious to get out ranging and laying eggs! The layer flock is in need of some replacements and a few meat birds are planned for this year, However, its a bit early for chicks at this point even though they’ll start off indoors. Its hard to get the timing correct when there’s still snow and freezing temperatures more often than not.
The list of 2014 Projects grows daily and lots of the planning stages are finished. Its now a matter of waiting out the weatherman before much can get done. For example, there are a number of trees to be removed, but last years tree piles need to be taken care of before start – and they are tightly frozen below the snow cover. Its hard to wait, but patience truly is a virtue.
The waiting will be harder after this weekend as that silly Day Light Savings time comes around this Saturday night. Back to the darkness before breakfast for a while.