While the ground is still covered in winter white, it is tough to think about spring. However, inside the greenhouses at Kurtz Farms in Cheshire, the talk is about soil, not snow.
“What we really need now is for the snow to be gone because we really need some sales,” E.J. Kurtz said.
The farms have been family owned since the 1940s and the greenhouses take up roughly 15 acres off of Peck Lane in Cheshire. With day after day of single-digit temperatures, keeping the green houses warm has not been easy.
“The weather has not really cooperated with the temperatures so we spend a lot more on energy costs for the fuel,” Kurtz said.
The owners know from experience it is important to keep the greenhouses heated so they do not collapse under the weight of the snow. Now they are hoping it all starts to melt so they can start to move some of their product outside and have room inside to grow more.
If you plan on planting your own, Kurtz said pansies are one flower that can take the frost. Cabbage and lettuce are good cold weather crops too.
For those waiting on Mother Nature so they can start planting, Kurtz said tulips and daffodils might be delayed, but you can start shoveling out your garden now.
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“So when it does melt, you’re not going to have mud in your garden,” Kurtz said. “That will make it easier to plant.”
