Re: California - What are you doing this month?

**sanderson** 6/2/2016, 2:10 am

countrynaturals wrote:Sanderson? Do you have anything in direct sun?

Roses, a few small trees, and dying grass. Very Happy

A few beds still need protection when it gets in the 100s. Problem is, sundown is the only comfortable time right now.

Let's don't even talk about a/c. Our bill will top $500 in July and August.

We also had $500+ bills until we had solar installed. CA has horrible rates for electricity.

countrynaturals 6/2/2016, 12:45 pm

sanderson wrote:
countrynaturals wrote:Sanderson? Do you have anything in direct sun?
Roses, a few small trees, and dying grass. A few beds still need protection when it gets in the 100s. Problem is, sundown is the only comfortable time right now.
Let's don't even talk about a/c. Our bill will top $500 in July and August.
We also had $500+ bills until we had solar installed. CA has horrible rates for electricity.

Yeah, sundown, when the mosquitoes take over. Mad

We considered solar, but didn't think it would make enough difference. Maybe we should look at it again. thinking

audrey.jeanne.roberts 6/3/2016, 1:49 am

A/C quit running this am *deep sigh* Our trusty repair guy is backed up due to the first heat wave of the season. Fortunately we were buying the swamp cooler anyway so Steve is out at almost 11 pm cleaning it and getting it ready to be set up tomorrow. He'll still need to hook up the water in the morning. It was over 100 today and I don't do well with that kind of heat and no cooler!!!!!

**sanderson** 6/3/2016, 2:18 am

What an awful time to lose the AC. The swamp cooler should feel great tomorrow as the humidity is low. I always liked the feeling of the air brushing over as it goes out the window.

I got up at 6:10 this morning and got a couple nice hours in. Weeding the brick patio of nasty, sticky weeds. Chopped some more straw. The total coverage of shade cloth off the back patio really helped. I also don't do well in heat.

CN, Yep, forgot about the mosquitoes.

audrey.jeanne.roberts 6/3/2016, 2:47 am

Interesting thing I've noted this season is that hay hold much more moisture than straw and works much better as mulch. I have the fortune of having probably 5 or 6 bales that had spoiled from our cattle tenants and all the loose hay under 3 squeezes of hay stack that was 6 - 12 inches on average. Since it was free I used it and we're pulling the volunteers when they get to about 6 inches and just tossing them right back on top. Not a big deal.

My 4 x 8's were mulched with 2-3 inches of 1/2 composted hay and cow manure and even in this heat I watered well yesterday morning and it was still very moist this morning so I only watered where seeds had been planted.

It's NEVER like that with anything else I'm mulch with including wood chips and it's really super easy to pull back an plant in.

countrynaturals 6/4/2016, 6:24 pm

I did a face-plant over a hose in my sfg this morning, trying to chase a cat that was up on the fence. I was very, very lucky -- could have broken a tooth, cracked a rib, broken my nose, and who knows what else. Luckily, I landed flat and didn't have my camera. All I got were a bunch of bruises and a bloody nose. Smile

Needless to say, that hose is now gone, but I'm sorta housebound, feeling my age and my bumps and bruises, so I'm catching up here and posting pics, since I can't play outside. Rolling Eyes

We got some cloud cover this afternoon, so it isn't quite as blistering hot as it could have been. Cool

Yardslave 6/4/2016, 7:07 pm

Sorry about the face-plant Countrynaturals. I'm always leaving tools out while I work, but my ever-vigilant wife is quick to point out any garden hazard, before I can get impaled, cut, or wrenched. The only things she misses are the subterranean type hazards created by gophers. I can't tell you how many times I've had a ladder, a work stool, or a poorly planted foot step sink down and dump me over when I least expect it. It's strange that of all the times it's happened, I've never squished a gopher!

BeetlesPerSqFt 6/4/2016, 7:08 pm

countrynaturals wrote:I did a face-plant over a hose in my sfg this morning, trying to chase a cat that was up on the fence. I was very, very lucky -- could have broken a tooth, cracked a rib, broken my nose, and who knows what else. Luckily, I landed flat and didn't have my camera. All I got were a bunch of bruises and a bloody nose. Needless to say, that hose is now gone, but I'm sorta housebound, feeling my age and my bumps and bruises, so I'm catching up here and posting pics, since I can't play outside. We got some cloud cover this afternoon, so it isn't quite as blistering hot as it could have been.

OWW. I hate it when stuff like that happens to me. (And I did damage a camera attachment once, by tripping so I understand your relief on that front as well.) I'm really glad you weren't hurt worse, and I hope your bruises and ego heal quickly.

**trolleydriver** 6/4/2016, 7:29 pm

Ouch! So glad you are OK and did not get a really bad injury.
California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 10_12_5

countrynaturals 6/4/2016, 7:49 pm

trolleydriver wrote:Ouch! So glad you are OK and did not get a really bad injury.

Thanks. I was really badly shaken, but it seems I bounce pretty good for an old gal. pale

**trolleydriver** 6/4/2016, 8:31 pm

By the way, I had my own mishap. I have some canes set up as a temporary grid on one of my beds. Some of the canes overlap the sides of the bed by a few inches. I knelt down to do some work on the veggies in the bed. As I did so my knee struck the end of one of the canes which flipped up and at the same time flipped up two other canes that were lying across it. They all hit me in the head. I did a quick check to make sure nobody witnessed the incident and then continued to work as I pretended that nothing had happened. Embarassed

countrynaturals 6/4/2016, 8:35 pm

OMG, Trolley! I'm glad you weren't hurt, but what a missed video opportunity. As long as you're okay, that could have been funnier than Sanderson's Beers. rofl

(I just went splat -- nothing funny about it. Sad

)

**Scorpio Rising** 6/4/2016, 10:30 pm

Nobody saw that. Never happened! California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 3170584802

That is so me! WTG, TD Smile

**sanderson** 6/5/2016, 2:02 am

Ouch, those garden mishaps! Some are close calls or really hurt, others, well, as TD will attest, embarrassing.

Mellen 6/5/2016, 10:29 am

sanderson wrote:
I got up at 6:10 this morning and got a couple nice hours in. Weeding the brick patio of nasty, sticky weeds. Chopped some more straw.

Sanderson: Where did you get your straw? Would you believe, in this farming country, I can't find any? Thanks......

**sanderson** 6/5/2016, 11:14 am

I buy mine at an Ag feed store where they carry supplies, bedding and feed for farm critters. I found Tulare Ag & Feed Supply on the internet as an example for you in your area. The wheat bedding straw does have some seed heads but I pick them out when I see one. Otherwise, if they do make it to the beds, the seedlings are easy to pluck out.

Mellen 6/5/2016, 11:27 am

I went to Tulare Ag last weekend. They are a small "critter" feed store with a few garden seeds. Lots of rabbit & chicken stuff, dog & cat food. He didn't have any hay or straw. I have to admit I've been distracted by other stuff & haven't put my back into this. I'll do that now. I just read that potatoes (which is why I need the straw) like pine needles. I'm going to go rake around our pine trees at work. Maybe that will hold them for awhile. THANKS for your reply & continued support!

**sanderson** 6/5/2016, 11:36 am

I had to let the computer do the walking to locate a place with a small shed out back with alfalfa hay and wheat bedding straw, sawdust bedding, alfalfa pellets. Thankfully there was one close by in Clovis.

countrynaturals 6/5/2016, 12:40 pm

I'm still weak and loopy from my vaudeville act yesterday. My ribs hurt when I try to bend over, so I guess I'm housebound again today. Sad

At least I can still be productive at the computer. I don't have to resort to anything drastic, like tv. affraid

Mellen 6/5/2016, 12:43 pm

Said a prayer for you. Hope you feel well enough to get back to normal life soon. Sad

countrynaturals 6/5/2016, 12:48 pm

Thank you, mellen. I hope so, too. Smile

CapeCoddess 6/5/2016, 3:12 pm

Mellen wrote: I just read that potatoes (which is why I need the straw) like pine needles. I'm going to go rake around our pine trees at work. Maybe that will hold them for awhile. THANKS for your reply & continued support!

Good to know, Mellen, because I've been loading up mine with pine needles due to lack of anything else. I shall carry on.
What a Face

CC

countrynaturals 6/6/2016, 2:47 pm

My garden is really doing well, in spite of the heat. Here are my zukes. These pots are about 18" across. Funny thing -- these are overflow transplants and they're doing better than the one I left where it was planted. I didn't think zucchini liked to be transplanted.
California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 Zukes10

California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 Zukes10

These are Hales melons. They can't wait to crawl out of bed and climb down to freedom.
California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 Melons10

My biggest surprise is kale. I had a bunch of starts that didn't make it into the ground when they should have. I also had an empty space in my sfg where I was gonna let melons roam. Instead of throwing away the kale, I decided to plant it in the empty spot, hoping it would last long enough to get something out of it. Here is one of several little plants that don't seem to mind our triple-digit heat. They've more than doubled in size in the past 2 weeks.
California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 Kale10

California - What are you doing this month? - Page 16 Kale10

**sanderson** 6/6/2016, 5:17 pm

Kale in this heat! I have some spots I could experiment with. Thanks.

countrynaturals 6/6/2016, 8:21 pm

sanderson wrote:Kale in this heat! I have some spots I could experiment with. Thanks.

I'm thinking the secret is that they have to be babies. I don't think big ones could make it. Maybe the answer is a short season second crop from April thru June. I also think this is a dwarf variety. Maybe that makes a difference, too. Cool

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