Burns Best Farm

Effects of the Weekend Freeze

Despite our efforts at covering a few of the blueberry plants, it appears that our plants were severely impacted by the deep freeze that hit much of the country this past weekend.  All of the plants were in bloom late last week and now all of the petals that remain are withered and brittle.

It looks like my potato plants were killed, too.  I had mulched them up high with wheat straw, but in retrospect, I should have covered them with plastic.  Most all the leaves are brown now, and the stems are soft.  Not good.

Thankfully the blackberries had not bloomed yet, so we might have some berries to eat and to sell.  And I'm hopeful that some of the blueberries will produce a little bit, just enough for me to freeze for next year.

But I'm really crushed to see that even the bushes that were wearing cotton tablecloth coats were hit hard.  This is not our livelihood; we don't earn the bulk of our family income from farming, and we have so much to learn before we can approach supporting ourselves in agriculture.  It's just so disappointing to have such a setback that is so completely out of our control.

Sorry to be so down in the mouth.  It might take me a day or two to bounce back.  I'm seriously bummed.

Untitled Comment

07:17, 2007-Apr-10 .. Posted by Fiona

I'm so sorry to hear about that! Would it be possible to cut the potato vines down to the ground and let them restart? In Georgia, you have a longer growing season than we do in Ohio, so perhaps you could get a new start with them. It's a shame about the blueberries...I don't have any advice about those, but I'll pray that perhaps the damage isn't so bad.

God bless, Fiona

So sorry

10:08, 2007-Apr-10 .. Posted by UnlikelyHomesteader

Have you taken a look at that plant wash that Berrysong sells? It's organic and you spray it on and it protects the plants and also seems to fertilize them too.

I wish I had gotten it on our cherry trees. They're not looking so good either. (((sigh)))