Watering in this Heat and Drought

That makes perfect sense Sally. When I think about it, how do we instruct people how to measure the water that their sprinkler system is putting out, so they'll know how to water their lawns etc? Put a straight-sided container in the path of the spray, let the water flow for 15 minutes, measure the collected water and do the math accordingly 'til they know how long it'll take to get 1".

You're a genie-uss! =)

SO HUMID SO HOT SO DRY OUT THERE IN THE SOIL

Hoping this breeze brings some rain showers tonight!!!!!!!!!!

We got a half an inch of rain this morning early, during three or four hours,so humid now with temperatures in the 90's it feels like someone standing on you,pressing down on your chest
Taking a knife and testing the soil it is still dry,the soil won't saturate it is so, so, dry.

No rain yesterday, didn't know we were 'supposed' to get some... hoping we get some this afternoon, 'they' are calling for scattered storms this afternoon. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain! =)

Noticing a big decline in bird, butterfly, and critters of all sorts. Anyone else? What do earthworms do in the drought?

Shocked me the other day when I heard that several nuclear power plants in the midwest might have to be shut down because they were running out of cooling water! And the pools where spent fuel rods are stored were dangerously low. Yikes, never thought of drought in those terms before.

And, oh yeah, the siding on some folks homes are melting and buckling from the intense heat.

I am glad that I followed my intuition this season and began and have continued "survival watering" in my yard.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1270476/

Everything has stopped growing except for my squash plants which double in size with the slightest hint of rain!

Beginning to get a sense of what it is like to live in areas of the world where there is a dry season and a rainy season. What dances or rituals do the people do when the rains don't come? Lessons to be learned agian of the interconnectedness of all life here on planet earth and assessing my place....

Rain dreaming here, too Speedie et al

I hope the bush butternuts are doing well for you coleup.
Green beans are scarce or expensive at the produce places I go to, but squash has been great. Last nights zucchini was really tasty, sweet even.

I'm reading a book about soil food web. It makes the point that without rain, there is little exchange of gasses in the soil (rain comes, trickles down, pulls new air into the spaces...) so CO2 in soil builds up, and less healthy for roots and their associated micro organisms.

It feels a little better with this breeze but yeah lets get some rain.

sallyg, The bush butternuts aren't really taking off but are setting their first fruits now, so I am hopeful. Is that what yours are doing, too?

I have been following this thread in Heirloom Vegetable forum on summer squash http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1270202/ where Darius gives some tips for freezing extra squash and this recipe for

"Crabless Crab Cakes"
http://www.justveggingout.com/2009/05/crabless-crab-cakes.html

My Cantelopes grow poof with any rain at all also,as for critters DG's home page had an article last week? about BF's not being seen as often.(as do a couple of the forums.
A little more than a century of weather recording is not enough to convince me of global warming.Only anyone who has ever walked across a parking lot or concrete space cannot the deny the effect that man has had or does have.
There really is no denying it's hot and things we do make where we are hotter.(or cooler).The ancient (stories?) tell us many things that may or may not of been about the weather in the time they were.The planets old, we are not. I don't believe a century of records makes anyone the "all knowing" anything. Recently that is a little more directly dramatic and expressed of current weather and situation than many of you here or myself most likely care for.
I am glad some rain has returned, I wish it was a little cooler and it is getting that way presently.

We got a brief down-pour just a little while ago....Lots of rumbles....A bit of wind...
Ho--Hmm.....I wish it had lasted longer--but it was a good rain-fall....

Thunder and all that---Some wind---some rain gushes from the gutters.....thats all....

I am sure it helped. Not sure how deep the watering went....

Now--at 7:30PM--it seems to be all gone.... Gita

I think it amounted to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch here. Grateful- but hoping for a little more overnight.
Looking at calculations on how much water is shed from a roof has impressed upon me the great diference in the water going straight to waterway flow, (after the pavement and storm drain) that USED to go into the ground, cool it off, and then eventually get to the river.

My bush butternuts were awful. I blamed it on too much shade and growing on top of the leaf pile and not keepng the leaf pile watered enough. Two plants died, the third hanging on by a thread. Pretty disappointed in them!

Sally---

Since I had all new gutters put on and all the downspouts diverted to drain on the lawn--and not in
the non-functional underground drains--I am awe-struck just how much water runs off the roofs
and then down the spouts and unto my lawn.....WOW!!!
Just to think all this ran somewhere down my house's foundation!! ....o:[...
NO wonder i had all this mold and mildew....and all the stink down my lowest level (The Shop).

I could just see how this would collect in gallons an gallons in a rain barrel....SOOOO much water!!!

I am hoping my $1200 expense will be beneficial to keep all this water away from my house's foundation...

There are a few glitches.....in the workmanship. Have to contact the "Boss" and have him send out
some of the workers to fix a few things...

Plugging away--as i can afford things....This Contractor is tops! IF you ever need some work done.
He builds houses --that is his main job--but he also does a lot of other house-related jobs...
He is a regular customer at our HD. By now--he is the only one I would use.....

Same as I have, by now, become really enamored with this plain, honest man that does Power Washing
of your house--or whatever.... What a GEM!!! Reasonable! Likable..... Down to Earth....

Good to get to know folks like that! Gita

I bet you will have a drier lower level, good going.
Knowing the Contractor- priceless in terms of comfort. I'll keep it in mind if we need work done.

Gita, I'm really glad you had that work done, and now you're rain water is not going down around the foundation of your home anymore. I bet your lawn is really thanking you right about now. =)

Hmmm, that has me wondering now... did I get any rain last night and just didn't hear it? Well, at some point over the next couple days, I'll be getting my new rain gauges (that DH got for me for my birfday!) put in place outside, THEN I'll be able to know! < =)

So, I moved my new rain gauge* just in time for the recent downpours.

You know, If *I* were in charge, there would be a nice slow rain at least one night er week throughout the summer. What's with this drought and deluge seesaw?! Who's in charge here, anyway? :-)

*I wish I could remember where I got it. It's sturdy but was quite affordable, and I would like to have more.

Sissy---

Home Depot carries Rain Gauges....nothing fancy--and only one or two kinds.
Nothing "cutesy either--no frogs or other critters holding the gauge---just a --gauge...

Look for them near the patio furniture/cushions displays where they have the Big, round Temperature
gauges/"clocks". They may be hanging on a Chip-Clip on one of the beams.

Just going by where they are in my HD--but they all have similar planograms.....
Gita