Yo-Yo Winter

Today's high was 58 degrees.  And then the brief little flirtation with the warm front gave way to abandonment, ushering in plunging temperatures.  Crazy rollercoaster weather.

The short spell of warmth had me out in leggings and clogs (sans socks) and a light hoodie wrapping up the gardening odds and ends.

First task was to get rid of the weeds from the Thai lime tree.  In the haste to bring it in from the cold a few weeks back, in with it came any weeds that had sprouted during the few autumn rainy spells.  So it was carried out to the table, and the weeds yanked.

Thai lime pot, after the weed removal.

The weeds from the Thai lime, now in the new makeshift compost bin. They had largely withered in the dryer indoor climate, and were easy to pull.



But, while examining the Thai lime in the afternoon light, it became clear that the few leaves that I thought had withered from lack of water were actually falling off due to a spider mite infestation.  Grr.  I will have to research how to get rid of those, lest I lose the whole plant.

Fine spider mite webbing.

On the edges, more webbing.



A few fallen, but fragrant, leaves.

While outside, it seemed a good time to try to contain some of the seeds from the herbs - the shiso and the kinh gioi - that will proliferate like crazy come springtime.  The seed heads were corralled into their respective pots.  The big unknown is how many seeds have sown themselves astray, but at least we can prevent continued unplanned germination.

Kinh gioi - after deadheading the seed heads.

After photo - deadheaded shiso, including a green shiso.

Before - Shiso (curly, I think) seed heads.

After - curly shiso.

Before - straight purple shiso.

Post-dead headed straight purple shiso.



The changing temperatures mean the possibility of the plant-killing freeze/thaw cycle - the soil in a planter freezing solid, with no place for melting snow and ice to drain, leading to root and bulb rot.  There was evidence of that in the pot where the pepper plants grew, and where the remnants of those plants still remain.

Puddling, in the pepper pot.

More evidence of puddling.



And, finally, the uprooted geraniums in for safekeeping - they need to be hung and dried.  To do....

Uprooted geraniums - winterizing to be completed.