Stormy Weather Farmer Blues

After a very dry, almost boarding on drought, and unusually warm early spring, the late spring has proved a wet one indeed. Most every day for the past two weeks has seen daily cloud cover, cooler weather, and afternoon showers.

Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather

Overall, I am not complaining about rain. Since we dry farm our vineyards, regular rain at the right times of the year is important. And after the very unusual dry early spring, which in part contributed to many forest fires this spring in Hungary, we definitely need the rain.

But timing is everything, and rain now is not an ideal condition for the wine, because we have just entered the bloom.

Wine vine in bloom.
Wine vine in bloom.

Some crop loss due to fungus may be unavoidable. A depressing proposition indeed.

But to some benefit, we have not had to water our tomatoes for weeks.

Tomatoes in the garden.
Tomatoes in the garden.

Mother Nature is simply one of those unpredictable joys of farming which we can not change, and must take in stride.

2 responses to “Stormy Weather Farmer Blues”

  1. Rain Now, Drought Later? | Crafting wine, life and home in Hungary Avatar

    […] last time we had a rainy May, we had a drought and heat waves summer. I have a half hectare in new vine plantings, and a repeat […]

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  2. The Soothsayer | Crafting wine, life and home in Hungary Avatar

    […] some months ago if the wet spring of 2014 was a forbearer to another summer drought, as the wet 2012 spring preceded the drought in the summer of that same […]

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