- Delighted Green Thumb Maintains Satisfaction Amidst 2024's Frost and Slug Invasion
Slugs, frost, and rain didn't dampen the 2024 gardening season for small-scale gardeners in Thuringia. According to Bernd Reinboth, the state specialist advisor at the Thuringian State Association of Garden Friends, it was an ordinary gardening year, neither great nor disastrous. Vegetables particularly thrived due to the wet weather in May. The harvest of cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and potatoes was quite successful.
Late frost wreaked havoc
Although vegetation was well-established by March, the frost in April brought about significant damage to certain crops. Reinboth stated, "We essentially had a complete wipeout with cherries. It's a similar story with apples and plums." Strawberries also suffered from the late frost. Many vegetable varieties are typically planted outdoors in May.
Due to the mild winter and high humidity, there was an abundance of slugs this year, making gardening challenging. Recent rainfall also led to issues with mildew in cucumbers or blight in tomatoes or potatoes in specific regions.
Luckily, water supply wasn't a concern like in previous years, as reported by Reinboth. "Some wells dried up then, and rain barrels weren't always filled either."
Plant cabbage varieties in the bed
Gardeners with a craving to plant vegetables in their beds should act quickly, advised Reinboth. "Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, or kale can still be cultivated now. Lettuce, radicchio, or spinach can also still be sown. However, be mindful of the winter hardiness of the seeds."
The annual Thuringian Garden Days in the Erfurt ega-Park will kick off the gardening autumn in Thuringia this weekend. In parallel, the Teaching and Research Center for Horticulture in Erfurt is hosting an open day.
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In their free time, gardeners might consider planting cabbage varieties or sowing seeds for lettuce, radicchio, or spinach, taking into account the winter hardiness of the seeds. Despite the success of the vegetable harvest, late frost caused significant damage to cherries, apples, and plums, while slugs and mildew proved challenging for cucumbers and blight affected tomatoes or potatoes in certain areas.
