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Cold Weather Means Protecting Citrus, Covering Hives
It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week and already, the first snows have arrived in the Sierras and Rockies.
The water in our Italian fountain froze overnight and now the birds and bees that drink there must wait for the sun to melt the ice.
The plunge of nighttime temperatures here on the Henny Penny Farmette are hovering at frost and freezing levels. This morning, I walked with a steaming cup of coffee and noticed the thermometer hovering at 39 degrees Fahrenheit. That means our citrus trees and other frost-intolerant plants must be protected or moved indoors.
The work I’ve been bearing down on–a new book, mystery promo, and prep for Thanksgiving–now have to be put aside for a few hours. I’ve got plenty of cold-weather work to do outside.
Our Satsuma mandarin orange tree prolifically bears fruit this time of year but is susceptible to freeze
Citrus trees will be covered with blankets against the frost. I’m hanging the heat lamp in my chicken house. I need to clean the chicken house, put more straw in the nesting boxes, and a ground corncob material on the floor. Already, I’ve put the windows back in (leaving a crack open for ventilation).
My Buff Orpington hen likes a cozy nesting box stuffed with straw
I opened the beehives last weekend and added an extension onto one hive–something not normally done during autumn when you typically shrink the size of your hives. The hive seemed overpopulated and the bees seemed stressed. After closing that hive, I wrapped both of them with blankets.
Hive frames with lots of bees
With the the citrus protected, the heat lamp in the chicken house, and the beehives covered, I can return to my indoor work . . . it never stops but my passion has always been to live close to the earth and write. This is the good life, made better by this wonderful Mediterranean-like climate that enable our citrus and grapes to thrive (although plunging temps make for a little extra work protecting them).
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Enjoy reading about farming topics? Check out my cozy mysteries–A BEELINE TO MURDER and also THE MURDER OF A QUEEN BEE (both in the Henny Penny Farmette series from Kensington Publishing).
These novels are chocked full of recipes, farming tips, chicken and beekeeping tips, sayings and, of course, a charming cozy mystery. For more info, click on the links under the pictures.
The books are available through online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Books, and Walmart as well as from traditional bookstores everywhere.
See, http://tinyurl.com/hxy3s8q
This debut novel launched the Henny Penny Farmette series of mysteries and sold out its first press run. It’s now available in mass market paperback and other formats.
See, http://tinyurl.com/h4kou4g
NEWLY RELEASED! This, the second cozy mystery in the Henny Penny Farmette series, is garnering great reviews from readers and industry publications.
Tags: blood oranges, chickens, citrus, corncob, freezing temperatures, heat lamp, lemon, lime, mystery, nesting boxes, Rockies, Satsuma tangerines, Sierras, snow, straw, Thanksgiving