A Moment of Silence for My SFG, Please...

dizzygardener 6/2/2011, 10:19 pm

It has been a tough day today. We broke 90 for the second day in a row. My garden was fine just yesterday, but after today I have lost so much.

I had a beautiful head of romaine that I was going to harvest this evening for dinner... Bolted. I also had to pull the rest of the mesclun square. Another square of lettuce bolted and a square of spinach bolted. The other two spinach squares are starting to bolt as well. So, I decided to pull all the lettuce and spinach before it gets too bad.

My peas just started bearing last week, they aren't flowering anymore... My tomatoes and peppers are dropping their blossoms in the heat and humidity.

Perhaps worse of all, one of my potato buckets was a loss. I noticed one of the stalked was rotten at the soil line. I suspected scab so I pulled the plant... yep scab! The whole bucket had to be harvested. I only came out with a handful of potatoes.

*sigh* It has been a tough day. very sad

Patty from Yorktown 6/2/2011, 10:24 pm

I am sorry you have had a rough gardening day. You can quick pick all of your lettuce and store it in the fancy green plastic veggie bags. It will last almost a month that way. Not as much fun, but better than losing all of your crop. Just think of your happy pole beans and tomatoes. Hope your weather breaks.

Patty in Yorktown

**Kelejan** 6/2/2011, 10:27 pm

I feel for you, dizzygardener. I hope there is some hope for you in the future with your warm weather veggies.

Perhaps we up here in the north should be happy that our greens do not bolt so suddenly.

The Cat's Other Mother 6/2/2011, 10:48 pm

Whoa, that's tough. Sad

I am surprised about the tomatoes and peppers, though. Mine seem to thrive on hot weather, provided they have enough water. When did you plant your peas? I planted some really early this year and was pleased to get a decent crop.

BackyardBirdGardner 6/2/2011, 11:30 pm

You can't hear it, but I'm playing Taps with my bugle and saluting the dead. What a bummer. Sorry to hear.

middlemamma 6/2/2011, 11:45 pm

Awww that stinks Dizzy. So sorry. Sad

Old Hippie 6/2/2011, 11:51 pm

Kelejan wrote:I feel for you, dizzygardener. I hope there is some hope for you in the future with your warm weather veggies.

Perhaps we up here in the north should be happy that our greens do not bolt so suddenly.

We are often jealous of your warm weather and the fact that you all get to start your gardeners so much sooner than we do, but I for one, have no idea what it must be like to garden in that heat. Or contend with tornadoes, hurricanes, the poisonous snakes, the disgusting bugs.

My sympathies to you. Can you hear the funeral march I am playing for you?

Gwynn

middlemamma 6/3/2011, 12:22 am

yup...what Old Hippie said...

dizzygardener 6/3/2011, 12:54 am

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.

I know this is only temporary, but it just sucks to lose so much at once.

As for the tomatoes and peppers, I'm sure water stress has something to do with them dropping blossoms. It is so hot I'm having a lot of evaporation (haven't mulched yet). The tomatoes are in buckets which only adds to the issue. I'm working on it though.

shannon1 6/3/2011, 2:11 am

A Moment of Silence for My SFG, Please... 993580

I am so sorry. My peppers were doing the same thing but it cooled off a few days and have kept the fruit they set then, and now the weather is heating up again. Maybe yours will set again. Soon we will be able to plant the fall stuff. Just think they are makeing room for new growth it is the circle (cue "Lion King" song).

HPartin 6/3/2011, 7:10 am

I feel your pain--it is way to soon to be this hot. I have lots of beautiful lettuce that hasn't bolted, but it tastes very bitter. I pulled up some of it through in the compost pile. I hated to do it, but no one here wants to eat it. I think lettuce is pretty in the garden so I left some in for the pretty factor.

I too have a lot of blossom drop due to the heat. Hopefully it will cool off into the 80's soon. I don't know where you are but I have put in a special request for cooler weather in a few weeks for our vacation in Burnsville Wink

Hopefully it will be granted.

Heidi

Tril 6/3/2011, 7:38 am

" I think lettuce is pretty in the garden so I left some in for the pretty factor."

It is pretty... but remember, it's using up the nutrients in your mix. I have no problem pulling up stuff when I put it in that perspective! LOL

HPartin 6/3/2011, 7:42 am

Yes, I know. It won't be around long, that's for sure. I was waiting for it to bolt so I could get seeds but they don't seem to be in a hurry to do that either.

Heidi

FarmerValerie 6/3/2011, 9:20 am

We just checked the temps for the next week, 90's and more 90's. I cannot believe I'm still getting broccoli, but I am. It can be hard to transistion from spring to summer crops, especially since lettuce is one of the main reasons you garden, and that means that the high temps are here to stay. We are watering twice a day, and the tomatoes get a bit of cup water on the whole square and those that have the water stakes get 2-liters at least once a day. Here is a picture of the water stakes for those who have not seen them, I'm hoping to get more this weekend for the rest of my maters and peppers.

A Moment of Silence for My SFG, Please... 03811

A Moment of Silence for My SFG, Please... 03811

jymarino 6/3/2011, 10:56 am

Val

How do those water stakes work? I did some self watering planters in buckets and have the same type of thing, but they are reservoirs. Is there a water catcher under your box? What keeps the water from coming out and flooding the squares right away after you fill them? Inquiring minds want to know!

affraid

complements of ds

FarmerValerie 6/3/2011, 11:37 am

Fill bottle with water, turn upside down onto stake, water slowly goes out the 4 holes that are at the bottom of the stake. I love them.

Ha-v-v 6/3/2011, 11:45 am

FarmerValerie wrote:Fill bottle with water, turn upside down onto stake, water slowly goes out the 4 holes that are at the bottom of the stake. I love them.

Where do you get these nifty things Smile

What brand? I would like to get some of those, life would be simpler Smile

Ha-v-v

jymarino 6/3/2011, 11:45 am

Where did you get the watering stakes? Are they the ones that are squares on top and pointy at the end?

FarmerValerie 6/3/2011, 12:02 pm

I got them at Harbor Frieght, they were on sale for $4 for 6 of them, but they run about $5. They are square on top, and have pointy ends that have 2 holes in each side of the point. We just fill the bottle, turn it over onto the hole, and walk away.

I just checked and they are on sale for $2.99 at harbor frieght, here is a link so you can see what they look like, and see if you have a harbor frieght near you.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-watering-cone-set-93182.html

Keep in mind, the name brand bottles are better, and the thicker the plastic the better, the bottles from the Real Lemon Lemon Juice work best, they are smaller, but thicker.

Goosegirl 6/3/2011, 3:23 pm

FarmerValerie wrote:I just checked and they are on sale for $2.99 at harbor frieght, here is a link so you can see what they look like, and see if you have a harbor frieght near you.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-watering-cone-set-93182.html

Thanks for the link, Val! I just ordered 3 packs for my garden. They will be great for when I am gone over a long weekend!

TC

madnicmom 6/3/2011, 10:21 pm

WOW I'm diggin the watering stakes also. Thanks Val, I'll be near a Harbor Freight tomorrow. Don't forget that they have 20% off coupons in paper sometimes.

Question: You water twice a day down there even with 2L bottles?

Ha-v-v 6/3/2011, 10:23 pm

Thank you for sharing where to get them ~!

staf74 6/3/2011, 10:30 pm

I'm sorry Dizzy !!!!

Yes its been roasting here near Charlotte also. Mid / Upper 90's for days and 98 a few days ago. It just broke last night with a light storm. Not as hot today, still upper 80's though. My peppers dropped some blossoms too but they'll come back.

What are you planning to mulch with????

I used regular pine bark mulch for my peppers but they HATED it. Soon after the leaves were yellowing. The very shallow pepper roots were right next to the soil line where the lowest mulch was beginning its decomposing process (which I know can lock up nitrogen) or the pH was dropping too low for the plant to use it also as pine is acidic. Perhaps both issues at the same time. I removed the mulch from two of the plants to confirm my suspicion and within a week, vigorous new growth appeared. Needless the say, I'm back to no mulch and multiple waterings again !!!

CindiLou 6/4/2011, 11:17 pm

Thanks Valerie, I just ordered some for my garden. Hubby will be losing some of his 2l bottles rofl...

FarmerValerie 6/5/2011, 9:29 am

madnicmom wrote:WOW I'm diggin the watering stakes also. Thanks Val, I'll be near a Harbor Freight tomorrow. Don't forget that they have 20% off coupons in paper sometimes.

Question: You water twice a day down there even with 2L bottles?

It depends, I keep a close eye on things, and at times all they need is a cup of water, but lately with temps in the mid 90's yes, I'm watering twice a day on most plants. BUT, not every plant needs water twice a day. I keep the soil moist, and water the whole square, I even water empty squares, because it is very hard to get moisture back into the soil once it dries down here, elliephant has the same problem down in South TX. It's similar to a long drought, then a downpour, the water just runs off, so it's easier to just not let it get dry. I know tomatoes don't like wet feet, but I just keep it damp.

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