By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
—
NEWBURYPORT — After two years of rough growing seasons, things are looking up for local gardeners.
Vegetables are still coming in abundance, from tomatoes to summer squash and zucchini for those with a green thumb, and farmers are seeing plentiful crops.
At Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, owner Glenn Cook has already harvested corn this year and is close to doing it for a second time. Last year, it was a struggle to even plant the corn, which happened weeks late due to the rainy summer.
"I'll take this year 100 times over last year," Cook said. "Other than it being dry, I thought it was a great growing season."
Cook said all his crops arrived two weeks early, as there were not many rainy days this summer.
And it was a good showing.
So far, 2010 has brought unusual weather that has largely helped the growth of crops. Every month since January has been unusually warm, and the summer months have had an abundance of bright, sunny days and little rain.
Farmers and gardeners can make up for rain deficits by watering. But in years where the weather is rainy and the sun seldom shines — like last summer — there is no way for farmers to compensate for soggy, cold soil and sun-starved plants.
The conditions this year are somewhat similar to those regularly experienced in California's Central Valley, where much of the nation's produce is grown.
This year's warmth also made many crops bear fruit unusually early, in most cases two to three weeks ahead of normal. At the first of September, blueberries are done, and the peaches are close to an end, Cook said.
The peaches, which "love the heat," have been excellent, Cook said, and the apples look plentiful. The blueberries were "awesome," he said.
And gardeners are reaping the benefits at home, as well.
Tim Lamprey, owner of Harbor Garden Center in Salisbury said customers who are new to the garden scene in the last few years are amazed at how much they have been getting out of their gardens this year.
"People are seeing that, yes, you can do it, you can get a return on your investment," he said. "I think for a lot of people, it's done finally what they wanted it to do. All in all, I think people who have been gardening this year on vegetables have been really happy."
And there's still time to plant, Lamprey says.
"Greens" do well in the fall — cilantro, parsley and "leafy greens," such as lettuce and spinach, Lamprey said. As do radishes and beets.
"I know last year we had a lady who came in, and she bought five packets of seeds, greens, and well into late October, early November, she was still picking greens out of her garden," Lamprey said. "It can be done. A lot of these things like cold weather."
