Days 214 - 241 Upside Down Winter

Wow! It has been four weeks since my last post. Time flies!! This post gets us through 2/3 of the year. Hoping that I can make it the whole year!!

Our winter is upside down. My last post was about how spring felt like it was upon us...and just after I said it, winter set in again. We have had rain, snow flurries, and below freezing weather. My Aprium, Peach, and Nectarine trees started their bloom and some of the citrus started to shoot out new growth. The past two nights have been in the mid-20 degree temperatures. Not too hard on established trees, but the new growth is showing some damage. Cross our fingers for the trees and nature to recover for the next fruiting season.

What has happened in the garden over the past four weeks. Well, the mandarin harvest has come to an end. The largest crop that we have ever experienced with our two trees producing 1080 mandarins over the 3 months that we were harvesting. We have already harvested over 100 oranges (light crop this year) and over 25 grapefruit. Lemons will go on for a long time. Limes are done with about 30 (small tree).

I started some veggies in start pots. I planted 100 beet starts. Beets are amazing from the garden and our kids love them. The chard continues and we should have some Kale soon. The garlic is growing fine but the bulb on the garlic really does not develop until its last month and it takes about 6 months from planting to harvest. After I plant the beet starts I plan on starting some more chard for this year as well as experimenting with carrots directly in the ground. I also am planning on putting in some lettuce greens at the same time...but I need the weather to warm up a little. Forecast is for rainy weather 8 of the next nine days.

A four-week summary if you do not want to read the details:
Mandarins: 51 ($12.75)
Oranges: 65 ($32.50)
Lemons: 31 ($15.50)
Limes: 6 ($1.50)
Grapefruit: 10 ($7.50)
Chard: 3 bunches ($9.00)

Day 214
1) 1 mandarin
2) 1 lemon
3) 1 lime
4) 1 grapefruit
5) 2 oranges

Day 215
1) 2 oranges
2) 10 mandarins
3) 2 lemons

Day 216
1) 4 oranges
2) 2 lemons
3) 1 bunch chard

Day 217
1) 5 mandarins
2) 3 oranges

Day 218
1) 10 mandarins
2) 3 oranges
3) 1 lemon
4) 1 lime

Day 219
1) 10 mandarins
2) 2 oranges
3) 4 lemons

Day 220
1) 1 orange
2) 2 lemons
3) 1 lime
4) 1 grapefruit

Day 221
1) 1 grapefruit

Day 222
1) 1 orange
2) 1 grapefruit

Day 223
1) 3 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 2 lemons

Day 224
1) 1 orange
2) 1 grapefruit
3) 1 lemon

Day 225
1) 1 orange

Day 226
1) 2 lemons
2) 6 mandarins
3) 3 oranges

Day 227
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 grapefruit

Day 228
1) 2 oranges
2) 1 lemon
3) 2 limes

Day 229
1) 3 oranges
2) 4 mandarins
3) 1 grapefruit

Day 230
1) 3 oranges
2) 5 mandarins

Day 231
1) 5 oranges

Day 232
1) 2 oranges
2) 3 lemons

Day 233
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 lime

Day 234
1) 3 oranges

Day 235
1) 2 lemons
2) 1 orange
3) 2 bunches chard

Day 236
1) 1 orange
2) 2 lemons

Day 237
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 grapefruit
3) 1 lemon

Day 238
1) 3 oranges
2) 2 lemons

Day 239
1) 3 oranges
2) 1 lemon

Day 240
1) 6 oranges

Day 241
1) 2 oranges

Four-Week harvest: $78.75

Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $1185.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $360.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $125.00