It never rains but it pours, and the summer weather so far has been a mixed blessing for market gardeners, orchardists and grape growers in Otago this season.
Lynley Hunter, of Waikouaiti Gardens, says "you have to take the good with the bad".
But with rotting potatoes, stressed plants, and courgettes "blown out of the garden", the only positive appears to be plenty of sweet peas.
A lack of sun meant pumpkins were not growing, and tomatoes were not getting enough heat to grow in the glass house, which had panes smashed by high winds.
"Our summer is over before it's begun."
Otago Organic Group farmer Alice Baird said she was happy not to have to irrigate this season, but her crops had been "really slow" because of the lack of sun and warmth.
Central Otago's grape growers were also hoping for some heat in the second half of summer to ripen fruit before harvest in April and May.
Recent cool weather had slowed the ripening process, although those in the industry were confident there was enough time for grapes to develop.
Central Otago Wine Growers Association president Nick Mills, of Rippon Vineyard, at Wanaka, said the lead-up to this year's vintage had been good so far, with little or no frost damage to vines in spring.
"The weather has largely been kind to us. Things have slowed up considerably, as it's been relatively cool in the last while, but that's not really a concern at this stage," he said.
Another core Central Otago crop - cherries - could be down this season compared with last year, but growers remained philosophical about their weather-dependent industry.
Summerfruit New Zealand chairman and cherry grower Gary Bennetts, of Roxburgh, said the rain had affected a "substantial" amount of his crop, but it would be towards the end of the season before he knew the full extent of the damage.
"Everyone's been affected a little bit differently depending on their fruit varieties and where they are, but my prediction is it [the rain] is definitely going to have an effect on overall volumes for the season. The overall export tonnage could be down a bit," he said.
However, North Otago grower Johanne Phillips, from Totara Lowlands, said cherry quality had been "great".
The fruit was big and dark and, because it had been on the trees a lot longer, it was sweeter.
"For us, it's a really good cherry season."
In the south, Inch Clutha vegetable grower Ted Wong said the wet, warm weather in the region recently had encouraged growth, producing a surplus of garden vegetables.
However, the weather had made it hard to plant more.
The muddy soil made it "difficult to get the machinery on the ground," he said.
