Monday, July 30, 2012

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

No.  Really.  How does your garden grow?

Although we had a bit of the sky-moisture come our way last Thursday, it was only enough that I didn't have to water one day.  One.  Stinking.  Day.

The temperatures are still in the 100's every day.  I worry about our well going dry, even though I have no real reason to believe that it is.  For all I know there is a million gallons down there.  Or twenty.  I have cut back watering the trees to every two or three days.  What little fruit there was on the trees have fallen off from the heat (I think) and we've salvaged a few pieces here and there to munch on.  But since they are not needing water for fruit production, I'm just watering them to keep them alive.

I've been spoiling my veggie (embrace it, Susan) garden though.  It receives a daily watering.  And I feel guilty about it.  Should I really be wasting water on ten tomato plants, six rows of green beans, ten pepper plants, and a half-dozen squash plants?  Not to mention the two watermelon and two cantaloupe plants in the "was supposed to be an herb garden"?  Is the water worth the meager harvest I'll get from the summer garden?

And then I went and planted more squash.  Half of which some bugger of an animal has ripped up.  I had six beautiful pumpkin plants starting to get their true leaves when they were unmercifully dug out of their little compost-filled holes in the ground.  The acorn squash survived, not sure if by  mere chance or if the critters don't like them.  I know I shouldn't plant anything else.  But I probably will. I can't give up.  Although I am still putting off planting some things because the seedlings will more than likely just die in this heat.  I've seen a few gardens in town with sheets hanging up on their garden fences (I assume to provide some additional shade) and I may do that for the peas, cucumbers and lettuce when I get them in.

I've been pretty good at nipping the squash bugs in the bud.  Just about every day I'm turning over leaves in search of their eggs and find some every day.  Relentless little buggers.  I've also found several dozen nymphs and squashed them to kingdom come so I'm obviously missing some eggs.  There is also one tomato plant that has been almost totally relieved of it's leaves by a horn worm. It's methodical munching and pile of readily recognized poop is a tell tale sign. I've been out there two mornings now and can not find the bugger.  I sat out there going over that one tomato plant for a good ten solid minutes and couldn't find him.  They are great camouflage artists, but this guy must be some kind of Navy Seal of the garden pest world.

13 comments:

  1. I think you should camp out there by the tomato plant and get that bugger. LOL...thanks for making me smile today!

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  2. I hear and feel your pain. Although our temps have moderated a bit (Ooo, down into the 90's!!) we're still high and dry. We did have 0.15 inches of sky-moisture (I love that term!) or 'anti-sunshine' as we've been calling it yesterday. It saved me from watering yesterday- that's about it. I, too, worry about our well. We've been noticing that as the drought continues our water quality is going down- hard as a rock even after going through the softener, which tells me that the water is getting more scarce down there. Our creeks have dried up long ago- even the one that is spring fed! I need to do a better job on monitoring the squash bugs although so far things are holding their own against them. I"m hoping for some produce- I've canned 5 pints of tomatoes so far and have more to process today. I may not get enough to get us through the winter but at least it's something.
    And I thought chickens were supposed to like tomato worms. I picked a big one off one of my plants and tossed it to the chickens- they ran away from it and it crawled off. Stupid chickens. They could have at least killed it.

    Hang in there.

    Judy

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  3. I hear you. Daily watering is pretty much par for the course here in Denver, but this year has been especially bad. I finally put together my "cowboy drip irrigation system" made from an old garden hose with holes poked in it. It seems to be helping, but even so, nothing is really thriving. Lots of people here have reported problems getting tomatoes to form fruit and some folks are saying that tomato pollen dies over certain temps.

    My problem is that a bunch of my plants just seem stunted. The cruciferous stuff is pretty much a total loss. I planted the broccoli in early March - but it's been hot, hot hot since April, and it just never formed heads. I've harvested one measly summer squash, and all the zucchini died. Most of the little squashes just shrivel up and die as soon as they set on. I'm gonna add some extra manure and mulch today and see if any of it helps. Heavy sighs all around.

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  4. ...."or twenty".... LOL I think just like you! Today my tenant texted me and said she had no water and that was my first thought, always the worst. I banged on the well pump with a wrench and it kicked back on..this time! Ugh. And the insects? Arrrrgh, so frustrating!

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  5. I just found you so I'm not sure of your feelings on sprays-- I almost lost my two zucchini plants to the squash beetles! I started spraying them with a mix of one tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Lavender soap to a few cups of water and it killed the little monsters off in minutes. Nice thing is Dr. Bronner's is reasonably non-toxic and not harmful. I the zukes might make it now!

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  6. We suffering too in Boise- high 90's and 100 last week. I water the veggies area every day or every other day. I hate to use that much water (city water) but it that or no garden. I tried drip here, but it's just too dry. Atleast most of my plants looks good and have fruited before it got so hot...

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  7. I have been watering with a small bucket - just around the roots. And every other day. We did get some rain, although about a quarter of an inch. Whoopee. I mean, you just have to keep them veggies alive, don't you? All those little baby veggies -- cootchie cootchie coo. I couldn't help myself.

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  8. Ugh... Happy you got some rain... Sorry it wasn't very much... Damn those critters! Kill 'em all!!! (Groundhog anger)

    We just recently discovered the dreaded SVB's on our stuff at the farm... Damn them too!!!

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  9. Living here in AZ, watering every day is pretty much the norm. We did get some rain overnight last night so I may not have to water today. :) I'm not sure that providing food is "wasting" water.
    My garden has really picked up since I started fertilizing! LOL!! I go through this every year too, you think I would have learned by now. (sigh)
    I check for signs of tomato worms every day and so far (knock on wood) I haven't seen any.

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  10. My garden has been watered on a hit and miss basis...there's just too much stuff to water daily. I've been hauling rain water up to the greenhouse...when we have rainwater, that is.

    Then I see people watering *grass* and I want to scream!! Oh no, I feel a rant post coming on! lol

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  11. I just figured out how to post on these blogs! We have the same issues with the drought at our place so dont feel bad. We have county water and two wells and we have been watering the garden daily too. Our once lush lawn is mostly a desert and the pond is down to about 3 foot deep but it will all come back eventually.

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  12. Good luck with getting some rain. The hornworms are sure had to see. I have to unfocus my eyes and just look at the thickness of the vines. If anything stands out I take a closer look.

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  13. I am going to wait til I can plant cool weather veggies, gave up on the tomatoes, I planted them in large pots this year, several never had signs of blooms, with all my water problems they were constantly wilting and then the tomato worm actually 4 that I found started striping the plants I gave up, only got a handful of tomatoes, not worth standing out in the hot sun to keep them going.

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