Surviving the heat

Solstice Greetings!

In the Denver area predicted high of 98* today! This morning my kitties woke me at 5:30, a half hour before the alarm. Seemed appropriate, since it's the First Day of Summer, so I got up and enjoyed the coolness of the morning. Watered my patch of lawn under the crescent moon last night. Soaker hoses are running somewhere in the garden every morning and evening. Two bird baths get freshened up each morning. Shades down, curtains closed when I leave to go to work. No A/C or swamp cooler in my house, so I have to use low-tech methods to cool down. Thank the Mother every day for the big silver maple shading my house.

I've bought dozens of different sprinklers, and if I had the time I'd hand-water instead. Nothing beats the personal touch, but unfortunately it's not always practical. So... anyone want to sing the praises of their favorite watering methods?

I hand-water everything: and stopped singing priases...
Not at all convinced by micro-irrigation, I am still looking.

Hand watering beats all every time for things other than lawn. I wouldn't water the lawn -- I'm too busy removing it!

I disagree- Turf is highly theraputic to hand water, but only with a 16% glyphosate solution.

I work to dang much, so I couldn't live without the drip. Especially the maunual water feature, that allows me to adjust the amount of time(and when) it runs. I still do a bit of hand watering though, as I haven't got the drip completely installed to all the new beds. Now, if I could just teach the robins that come flocking to the sound of the water running to put the mulch divots back from their worm hunting ventures, all would be great!

This is one of the best times to live in Los Alamos. Day time temperatures are in the high 80's this weekend, supposed to get to low 90's during the week and then back down to the 80's. It makes raising okra next to impossible and tomatoes are slow, but it is a great environment for humans.

I have a drip system and a sprinkler system for the lawn, though it needs repair and no one wants to repair it -- only replace it. Guess that means I will be learning rainbird mechanics. I hand water the stuff that hasn't been reached yet by the drip. I find drip systems are fabulous for tomatoes and eggplants and even fruit trees, but irises don't like as much water as the other plants so I have an area where I will have to move or raise the irises because they are getting rot. On veggies, though, the drip system does a much better job than hand watering.

Pajaritomt -- I live in Albuquerque. We had virtually no Spring this year but Summer is lovely so far. Temps this week in the mid to high 90s. Our lawn sprinkler system is also old and I use a circular sprinkler for the areas it misses. I also hand water our upper yard which is where the only flowers are located.

There is something relaxing about hand-watering if you don't feel pressured about it. It gives you a chance to visit each plant and see how it is doing and if it needs anything. I find it very pleasant, but the automatic systems are essential when you leave town. It is impossible to pay the bill for hand watering.

We're slowly putting in automated watering systems. Our first year here I hand watered 20 + baby trees with a 5 gallon bucket hauled from a hose bib 100 feet away. At the beginning of the season, I could only carry 2 gallons of water in them. Now I can carry TWO buckets nearly full - but now we've put water out to most areas. I still hand water for the theraputic benefits. DH says my gardening is getting expensive, but I remind him it is still cheaper than paying for a psychologyst :-)

I posted this pic in the wildlife forum, but here is one of my gardening buddies... he/she has moved into "Veggie Bed #1". Laps water off of the soaker hose.

On some days, gardening is all that prevents me from appearing in an unattractive mugshot on the evening news!

Kenton, you are so funny! Did you know that plain old pickling vinegar does the same job as glyphosate, without the toxic consequences for soil critters? OK, so the worms smell like pickles, but it is a small price to pay.

I didn't know that. I don't use glysophate (or any herbiceide aside from elbowgrease) myself, but should the need arise, I'll try vineagar.
Pickled worms, eh? We'll have Vadap ask his robins how they taste.

Not to sound like a dork, but I remember the name of that wise water-licker:
Sceloporus magister. Fence Lizard.

Should K-mom ever go off the deep end, her strong arms will make her unstoppable.

When I don't garden at all for a period, I go on depressed tea benders. Last winter was rough... I found solice using an axe... to chop firewood.

You guys are to funny. Kenton, that's the first thing that popped into my head when I read GJ's msg. Kill the whole yard and garden to keep the dang birds out. Robins pecked around a rose that I had moved(moved two that were most unhappy in last spot) into my lasagna bed. I had just put them there temporarily, and after 3 days, they had rejuvinated themselves(thought 1 was dead) and were growing gangbusters. I don't know what happened, but the growing limb(which had a bud on it) was laying in the garden, unattached!!! Grass has gone into shock from the heat, dry air and winds. Rest of the garden is loving it.

These last few weeks we have had a flock of fledgling crows-- they are loud, but very curious. They follow me around like winged chimps, poking around wherever I have been digging! We have a prodigious amount of junebug larvae in the dirt this year, and I toss them out onto the grass for the baby crows. Yum!

You know, Vad, I have been wondering for a week and a half about the disturbed mulch in the front yard and only thought today, thanks to you, about the Robins that are doing it. "Go for it, fellas, but please eat more earwigs and leave a suitable amount of worms."

GJ, I think I'll try the vinegar on some Passiflora in the old spot.

I was hand watering last weekend by my peach tree, and not more than 5 feet away, a daddy robin jumped down to the groud, dug out a huge worm, and commenced to beating and eating it. I'v got about 2 pairs of robins that patrol my backyard, and now have been seeing signs of them in the front.

I, too, have been seeing lots of baby birds -- those ones that are so fluffy that they are bigger than their parents. They have got in the same color feathers as their parents but they are all fluffed out and they fly poorly. They land way too close to humans and are way too curious. I have had an adolescent robin in my yard watching me and some adolescent nuthatches with a curved beak and best of all, an adolescent woodpecker. It must be time for baby birds to start flying around and learning to get their own food. They are really fun to watch because they come a lot closer than their parents will.
Vadap, your lawn must be a lot nicer than mine. I would never find a divot left over from a robin in mine. It isn't smooth enough that I could find a divot. I rather enjoy the robins and don't begrudge them the occasional earth worm, though I agree it would be nice to see them learn to live on an earwig diet.

I just got back from 2 weeks on the road and 2 days at home. The garden is happy and healthy. We have had cool days with rain and warm few days. I irrigate yes but less and less due to mature plants and good roots. Our robins have to get up early to suck the worms out of the grass cause I irrigate 2 times weekly (if needed) and only during the night. I have no divits either. Sorry Kenton. I hope your robins enjoy the big worms you have but my chickens get most of mine in the early walk around in the garden. Hello to all rockymtgardeners I am in Seattle on a busy trip this week looking for a weeping Fagus and several other specimens. Found another yellowwood in Michigan and brought home successfully for the garden.

I was just reading about Fagus (Beech) in a Beverly Nichols book, and have decided that my dream property must be large enough to accomodate a decent number of specimen trees.

I want a weeping Fagus and a tricolor. I have doubts that the tricolor will make it but I must try. What have you been doing fun this summer Kenton? I am working the rest of the summer and must bring home the bucks. Bummer. Oh well we need to pay for the Fagus. Oh and I got a Debris loader in Michigan that is the 'cats meow' It is a big vaccum that sucks up anything and shreds it into mulch and has a hose on it 8" in diameter. Soon I can become a landscaper maintaince guy. I can't wait!

Bringing home the bacon, too, Steve. Trying not to combust. For fun, making teapots. But I must say, a shedding vacuum may be a kick to beat it.
Seems Fagus s. 'Tricolor' burns in any place that is not the Pacific northwest. And in the shade to boot.

Steve - call Squak Mountain Nursery in Issaquah if you haven't already. (425) 392-1025. they had some Fagus about 3 weeks ago, but I don't recall which as i was looking for a fastigiate Carpinus.
Was at Wells Medina today - but had to hurry due to lunch hour ending & too much to look at. If your time constraints are narrow, I can go back over there during lunch, (only 5 minutes away) to see what they have & hold for you if it's worth a look.

A debris loader with an 8" hose - that's some mean shredding! But I know you will have lots of fun...
What a gorgeous day today - the sun showed up & stays through tomorrow!

Kenton - Geum 'Red Dragon' & Mango Lassie on their way tomorrow.

To clear up a misconseption: the divots are in my mulched garden areas, not the grass. I keep my grass at abt 4"+, and like Sofer, the sprinklers go on at 4AM. I wish the robins were hitting the grass. They make quite a mess in the mulch, little holes of dirt interspersed with mulch. I had 3 divots around that rose, and no sign of cat paws. Been seeing a few in my veg garden. If they go in there and start to destroy things, the cats bells come off! I warned them birds yesterday.

I would never be able to tell if the robins messed up my mulch. I guess you have a very neat place. We also have some mischieveous birds called brown tohees. I see them but am not aware if they make a mess. Don't your robins leave little deposits to make up for the mess?

Not really that neat, at all. When they leave a 2" dia divot that is about 2-3" deep, hard to miss. And it isn't just one or two, but many. These birds are very well feed. As far as their droppings, I should be so lucky, I guess, but have no idea. One of these days when I'm not tired from working-working, and/or working in the yard/garden, I'll actually get some pics taken.

I'm off to Wells Medina tomorrow. I also work near there. I am on Northrup near Lowes. Where are you Kayte? I am at Bodily Veterinary Hospital. I have never been to Issaquah to a nursery. Where is it and how late are they open?
I feel that I am in the pacific NW being in Kalispell. But we have cold winters. Lots of moisture to support during the summer and if dormancy is effective that might make it work.

Vadap, you must have gigantic robins, is all I can figure out! They are cheeky birds, but I have never seen them make very big holes! I love to watch them run. I don't know why but they often run when they could just as easily fly -- it seems to me.
The only bird I have it in for is a tiny little nuthatch with a curved bill. It ( I mean the entire species) likes to peck holes in the plaster of my house and to try to build houses in it. Sometimes they succeed. I have ordered a sling shot to cope with them. I just hope I don't take out my windows.
Apparently, their love of my house has something to do with plaster over insulation. I can tell you I am really fed up with living in a bird house. ( You can actually hear them pecking from the inside.) I throw rocks at them but I am a poor shot.

PJ you have never had a Piliated Woodpecker on your house. The entire house vibrates and wakes everyone up when they are sleeping. Beautiful birds though. I have encouraged them by nailing a sounding board on the area that they knock. This keeps the siding from disapearing. I agree that Vadap has big Beaked Robins. Probably Big worms that the robins extract.

I have Pileated Woodpeckers in Mississippi but not on the house. They stay up in the pines. I think the house is too low for them. I have never seen them in New Mexico. Plus my house here is not as isolated as the farmhouse in Mississippi.
But those little tiny curved beak nuthatches started pecking on the chimney which has a metal liner ( I think). Anyhow they sound like someone is driving a nail in to metal with a hammer.
These birds like the trees for bugs, the house for bird houses. I wish a Pileated would come along and lunch on them! Or a hawk or Eagle.

Was this the same Vet where I dropped the Iris off?
Located about 3/4 mile from my office...
Squak Mountain Nursery is open until 6, M-Sat, closed on Sunday. They are on State route 900, just 1/2 mile (?) or so south of Issaquah. Worth checking out, but not the same selection as W.M as they are a smaller operation.

I had to work today so didn't have time for WM. Yes the same vet Katye. And again thank you for the Iris. I have many blooming and they are beautiful. I cannot get to Squak Mountain because I work intil 6 pm every night. Bummer. But I will be hard at purchase with Wells Medina. I can't wait until tomorrow to shop at lunch time. Steve.

I think this is perhaps the most terrifying threat I have ever heard:
Do what I say, or "the cat bells come off!"

Yikes!
Doubleplus thanks Katye.

Please be careful with vinegar, If you use it on your soil it will make it impossible to grow things there. It lowers the ph so NOTHING will grow. You can amend the soil again to get the proper ph but that takes a while. I mainly use it on things in paths, etc, where I won't be growing things later

This article from Fine Gardening has a more in depth explanation.
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00220.asp

the entire point of using it in weeds growing in the sidewalk cracks would be to PREVENT THINGS FROM GROWING THERE. LOL. Actually we spray it on the leaves, so I doubt very much ends up in the soil itself. DH asked if he should add oilive oil & oregano, and just have wilted greens for lunch...

GJ,
What a great idea your DH had! If the weeds are dandelions it might be delicious. On the other hand, I don't know what those other weeds might be. Maybe not as tasty.

I asked him not to, especially since cars have been exhausting all over them. Really I think he was pulling my leg. Probably.

On a happier note, Sunday (record high of 100* again), we installed a bench in the new garden:

Lovely place to sit, where's the pot of tea?

Thanks, Mobi, for the link, I (almost) always research things before I use them.
Our local soil's composition is such that it is irreversably high pH. The very materials that make it up are earth metals, basic ones. There is literally no way to change it. I personally think pH change in horticulture is a bit hyped, but that is a rant...
Vineagar, applied to this soil, fizzes away quickly like a kid's science experiment.

I mostly hand water, with a pitcher or a hose-head with the slew of water intensity options. On really hot days I slack off on using a pitcher and hit everything with the hose (I have Grave's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, the 2 combine in a way that makes heat one of my worst enemies). Not so good, since I water weeds when I do that AND I don't water some plants quite enough.

We only use a sprinkler for the front lawn. Not often enough, we always have dead patches, and we probably wouldn't bother if it weren't for touchy neighbors. I plan to slowly replace the grass with as many other types of plants as possible. 'Til then... we tried to let the grass seed, but the neighbors came in and mowed it themselves. Our most healthy grass is on the side next to a neighbor who waters every day, and sets the sprinklers high enough to get the sidewalks, driveway, etc. Watching the pavement get watered is annoying. Having some living grass on my end is fine. What really bugs me is that they're hitting some of my sempervivums.

In the back I'm spreading Texaco Buffalograss, which barely needs anything. It's been my experience at past homes that it can out-thrive most weeds. I mentioned on another forum last night that the back was sod laid over what must've been a weed field (especially tons of bindweed, one of the current scourges of my life, but there are numerous types growing there), and it took us a while to notice. This is only one small part of the backyard, the rest is gardens that have so far been spared from the bindweed at least. Sometimes I hand water buffalograss clumps, mostly I simply want it there so the ground will have cover while I let everything else die before the gardens are completely over-run. I'm out there digging up weeds as often as possible.

The recent heat wave even had a lot of drought tolerant plants starting to wilt and fry. I definitely needed to water more than usual. I'm loving this brief respite, but a little rain (actually, a lot) would be nice. There was a little last night, but the ground is thoroughly parched.

Birds... I have a wide variety. The crows probably keep most of them, and my cat when she sneaks out, in line. I like the blackbirds because they're some of the most mindless critters I've ever seen, and they mostly feel safe pecking around the ample cat mint patches. ;) (Cat paradise there!) The blackbirds and sparrows also peck around the weed pit, so I really can't complain. The crows and robins sometimes tackle the lawn in the front, which is fine as long as they stay there instead of being problematic around the tree, bushes, and flower beds. If only they ate aphids. I recently hatched some mantises and am hoping the birds didn't get all of them. I have some pretty monstrous worms in my veggie gardens (not a complaint, their size is impressive), but I never see birds in there.

My sympathies are with you on the bindweed! I have fought it myself. It isn't easy. The most successful battle I have ever seen was a man who put used wall-to-wall carpet carpet down over the bindweed for 2 years. It was very helpful for the area which he covered.
Denver and Los Alamos have very similar climates.

Did anybody happen to see the news tonight in Denver (6/28)? They did a piece on a woman in Aurora who laid down artificial turf. Now THAT would take care of the bindweed! lol She was outside vacuuming it. Wierd!

I did catch a little of that (including the vacuum). Bizarre... but water efficient! Unfortunately I've had hardwood floors for so many years that I would probably get confused and try to mop the fake turf. Maybe vacuuming a lawn in the middle of the night would be therapeutic, and safer than mowing in the dark. (No, we don't do that. We don't mow at all back there, we only yank out or dig up weeds. Which is therapeutic in its own way!)

My daughter thought it was purely ridiculous, so I pointed out that people don't always have time for plants and that the not needing to water part is good. Having huge shaggy strips of plastic in my yard would feel so... unnatural. ;) I kind of wish some of my neighbors would choose fake lawns. Odds are they would wish the same about me, for opposite reasons.