8 / NOVEMBER 2021 PRIME
How Did Your Garden Grow IN 2021
By Jan Cashman
I
n the Gallatin Valley more people are gardening than ever before. Staying home because of the pandemic might have something to do with the popularity of gardening, but more and more people are realizing that growing and eating your own food is both satisfying and heathy. I have asked many local gardeners—employees and customers-- how their gardens grew in 2021… Weather is a main factor in how our gardens grow each year. 2021 was and is a dry year. Precipitation at MSU in 2021 as of October 10 is 13.95 inches. Normal year-to-date is 16.47. Temperatures were above normal in 2021, especially in June. A number of days in early June were above 80 degrees and then a record high at MSU and the Belgrade airport on June 14 and 15 of 93 and 98 respectively. The rest of the summer was hotter
than average, with highs in the 80s and low 90s but no days over 100 degrees. Although dry, we have had a beautiful fall with only light frosts by October 1. Fall leaf colors have been spectacular. That is, until the snowstorm and cold arrived on October 11. Most all vegetable gardeners are saying their gardens were fantastic this year if plants got enough water. The warm days helped vegetables ripen earlier than normal but greens and spinach bolted with the hot weather. Heat loving peppers and sweet corn were delicious and prolific. Our corn was easily knee high by the 4th of July. Unfortunately some of the sweetcorn varieties we have enjoyed over the years (such as Trinity) have become unavailable.
