By Clif Knight

Thanks to a couple days of fair skies, sunshine and moderate temperatures last week, I was able to break away from a long period of cabin fever and indulge myself in some long-overdue outdoor activities.
Geanell and I were confined indoors for the most part in November and December, as she was hospitalized for four days with pneumonia and a heart ailment and underwent patient care from home health nurses and physical therapists. In addition to taking on a heavier load of household chores, I underwent eye surgery for cataracts in December.

Cabin fever was worsened by weather dominated by long periods of cloudy skies, heavy rainfall and colder-than-normal temperatures.
My first day outdoors was devoted to picking up the leaves in my yard and dumping them in a pile adjacent to my vegetable garden. After decomposition, they will be used to mulch vegetable plants such as tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. This not only adds nutrient value to the soil but also conserves moisture during dry seasons.

The next day I finished removing dead plants from my fall garden and removing the frames I used to keep tomatoes and peppers from falling to the ground.
Recurring rain prevented me from preparing seed beds for red potatoes, and I had to delay plans for cutting several trees and removing them from the edges of garden spots. I was surprised to see the first signs of spring in my yard. Yellow bells are already pushing through the dirt; they are hand-high and should be showing blooms in a couple of weeks, unless they’re exposed to bitter cold temperatures.

Wild onions are also showing up all over the yard, and dandelions can’t be far behind. I also noticed buds forming on the tiny limbs of a large Bradford pear tree in the backyard. As a newcomer commercial vegetable grower last year, I decided to try my hand as an early-bird grower of strawberries and tomatoes.

The strawberries pretty much took care of themselves during the winter months; that changed, however, when they began blooming in early March. They had to be covered anytime the temperature dropped to 30 degrees or lower. I stopped counting the times I had to cover them when the number reached five.

The problem of planting tomato plants when there is still a danger of frost is equally frustrating. They will survive 30 degrees when covered; however, the soil is too cold for robust root growth.
I’m hoping for a lot less rain, more sunshine and warmer days this spring.