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May 12, 2026

Lightning is Life

Hi Reader!

This season has been a little weird. I took the leap and planted seeds at the end of April. Then, no rain. We had many days of no rain; to the point of watering restrictions being enacted in my area.

Even though I watered regularly, my plants were on the struggle bus.

RAIN was very much needed. Some of my seeds slowly germinated, but others showed no sign of life.

Then we got a huge lightning storm overnight and the next day everything was bigger and greener. Why?

In this edition we'll discuss the effect lightning has on plants and why, and also check out some of the first fruits of the season.

During a thunder and lightning storm, it's obvious that the rain is beneficial for thirsty plants, but also the lightening plays a major role.

WHY IS LIGHTNING BENEFICIAL!

Lightning plays a crucial role in the growth of plants, and here's how. Firstly, it's important to understand that plants require nitrogen for their growth. Earth's atmosphere contains about 78% to 79% nitrogen, but this nitrogen is in a form that most plants cannot absorb or use. This is where lightning comes into the picture. Read More ...​

Here is another article that is more of a short summary version.

​Why does thunderstorm rain contain more nitrogen than ordinary rain?​

My only tip for you is, during this awesome process of nitrogen exchange, stay in yo' house please. :). Don't stand outside in the elements trying to see your plants rejoicing in the rain.

After the storms came, the plants showed off. This is a flower of a Pineapple Guava.​

Here are some other first fruits of the season.

A Moon Glow Pear. Last fall I transplanted the whole tree into a 30 gallon tub. It looks like it's happy with the move. The mini-Pear tree is loaded with pears.

This is a little Jalapeño pepper. I've mostly grown Bell Peppers but this year I planted two Jalapeño plants because I read an article about the benefits of eating Jalapeño peppers. CHECK OUT THE BENEFITS...​

More storms are in the forecast. I'm ready and waiting because there are still some seeds that have not germinated ... like the Basil and Cantaloupes. Stay tuned in future editions.

That's all for this short edition.

Email me and let me know what you are growing.

Gardening Thoughts

I got this in a text message from my friend Cheryl and thought I'd share it.

Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

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I'll see you in the next edition!

Peace and Love,

Jan

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If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jangardener@gardenease.org