Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Darrell Blackwelder

May 26, 2005

     For the past few mornings, I’ve preferred heat in my truck on my way to work. It seems we’re having early April weather in late May. Many are concerned about the ramifications of the unusually cool temperatures.

     In some instances cool weather has been somewhat of a blessing. Flowers are quite bright and colorful. Pansies are still vibrant and producing new blooms. Normally by this time pansies would have been replaced by other warm season bedding plants. The cooler weather has given bedding plants and other cooler perennials an exceptional start.

     Cool night time temperatures and bright sunny days are excellent for vibrant color. Bedding plants usually become very dull in hot weather. During hot, night time temperatures, many plants burn sugars produced during hours of sunlight. These sugars produced during the day are instrumental in providing many plants with exceptional color. Therefore, bedding plants grown further north are always more colorful than those grown in warmer climates.

     Commercial strawberry producers are having a great spring.  Generally, by the end of May, strawberry production wanes with smaller fruit. This spring growers expect a couple extended weeks of picking due to the cooler weather. Warm days and cool nights not only extend the picking season, but enhance the fruit’s flavor.

     Cool temperatures also have fescue lawns looking as good as I have ever observed at this time of year. Often in late May, hot, muggy weather is perfect conditions for brown patch.

     Commercial vegetable producers are faced with a different situation. Because of the cooler weather, the tomato plants are almost disease free. Cooler weather and lack of excessive humidity has kept many of the fungal diseases in check. However, fruit size is very small. Normally at this stage of growth, growers have fruit approaching the size of a baseball. There are a few baseball sized fruit in these fields, but most are smaller- the size of golf balls. Fruit set and development are affected by cool temperatures, especially cool night time temperatures. Some growers lament that the crop is about two weeks behind.

     Cooler weather has also been a problem for home gardeners. Warm season crops such as okra, butterbeans and sweet corn suffer in cooler weather, especially if the ground is excessively wet. Home garden harvests will be delayed.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu