Customer: “DanieDaniel, help me! My tomato plants have all withered!”
Me: “Withered? How exactly? Yellow leaves? Wilting? Or completely gone?”
Customer: “No! Yesterday they were green and healthy, but today they’re black, drooping like they got struck by lightning!”
Me: “Ah…” “Let me guess. You planted them outdoors, didn’t you?”
Customer: “Yes! My garden gets beautiful sunlight. Last week it was so warm, I thought spring had arrived, so I planted them!”
Me: “Ah, that’s the classic spring trap…”
Customer: “Spring trap? What do you mean?”
I looked at the young customer with sympathy. “You see, spring in Vancouver is deceptive. The days feel warm, but cold winds still creep in at night. Plus, the spring rain here can last for weeks, keeping the soil cold and waterlogged. Did you check the weather before planting?”
Customer: “Uh… no… I just saw warm weather and planted. Who would have thought…”
Me: “Remember this next time. In Vancouver, daytime temperatures can be misleading, but what matters is the nighttime temperature. Tomatoes can’t survive below 10°C. If you want to plant early, start in pots and wait until the nights are consistently warm before moving them outside.”
The young man nodded rapidly, looking like he had just learned a hard lesson. Then, suddenly, he squinted at me with suspicion.
Customer: “Wait a minute… You talk about the ‘spring trap,’ but have you ever fallen for it yourself?”
I burst into laughter. “You’re sharp! I did fall into a trap… but not because of the weather!”
Back in the day, I had a spacious garden on the outskirts of Vancouver, lush with vegetables every year. One spring, I decided to grow kale and cabbage early in the season. The plants thrived, their leaves vibrant and green. I was proud, checking on them daily. But then… one morning, I walked outside and found a disaster.
