Snow last night - be happy - cheaper fruit this year - maybe

[fadedrose]

Last year we had a week of spring the first week of March - up in the 70's it was. All the blossoms came out everywhere in our state, only to be frozen by the snowstorm that came in later March, causing all the fruit crop to have been destroyed. The trees have a clock - they only start buds once a year, in spring. Let's hope it stays cold for few more weeks so that apples don't cost $1.50 each this year.

And my beautiful Japanese maples set blossoms, which all fell off the trees during the cold. They looked autrocious all summer, never re-coup'd.

This thread isn't about gardening, it's about the economy and cost of living...

(Oh, this may cause a lock...just threw out some grapes under the gutter line for a couple of robins wondering why on earth they came back during the snowstorm. Throw out some grapes, "mine" have already taken some.)

[HereSince1628]

1. Yes, a dusting on the other side of the lake, too. We're running 10F low so the savings

in fruit prices may soon be sucked up in utility bills this year.

I'm really ready for a week of daytime highs in the 40's, to get rid of the filthy snow...

but the best we can do is spruce it up with new snow in the forecast,

[Siwsan]

2. I woke up to a couple of inches of snow, too, and it's still coming down

My daffs and tulips are all starting to peek up through the soil and, thankfully, are hardy enough to withstand the weather. Last year, at this time, I was already picking bouquets.

Although I start to hate snow about 5 minutes after the first flake of the season, I know it is a necessary inconvenience. I hope we have an abundance of Spring showers and that the summer heat doesn't pretty much cook my garden vegetables, on the vine.

[MineralMan]

3. Stock up on last year's maple syrup, too.

It's going to be a bad year here in Minnesota and Wisconsin for syruping. The maples budded too early, and there's going to be an off flavor, along with lower production.

I'm not even going to tap my silver maple this year. No cute pint bottles of homemade maple syrup for family gifts, I'm afraid.

[greatlaurel]

4. Southern Ohio

SE Ohio has been cold this year. The trees are still dormant which is really good for wildlife, too. The oaks and hickories will not bloom too early and get zapped by frost, that has happened at least 2 out of the past 5 years here.

The maple syrup season has been great for our producers this year. We will have snow showers again tonight. The weather this year is more typical for us, not too hot too fast, yet. Should help kill some insect pests, too. Still much warmer than 40 years ago, no ponds or lakes froze deep enough to go ice skating this winter. That has not happened for a very long time.