I’m facing something similar in my garden right now. We now have had over 70 days where the temperature was 100 or more degrees. Worse, in my yard, we have had only 5 inches of rain since January 1. To say that it is an inferno out there is truly an understatement. We are also on water restrictions and can only run sprinkler systems (including drip and soaker) once a week. You are allowed to hand water with a hose as much as you want – for now.
I know some long time gardeners here in Austin who have had enough. They are saying that they are going to let nature take her course and stop watering. If the plant dies, good riddance you weather wimp. I sympathize. My husband, Ed, has been a savior and waters by hand in the morning. We use the condenser water from the air conditioner and supplement with the hose. But even my modest yard is too big to hand water. I have to choose what to save.
Some of the choices have been easy because the plant has simply died. My hibiscus was an early casualty, as well as nearly 80% of the perennials I planted this spring. My vegetable garden has limped along, but now the heat stressed plants are being attacked by scale and white flies. One by one I have pulled up tomatoes, okra, and eggplant and added them to the compost. It makes me very sad to shut off the water to each raised bed as the casualties mount. I don’t dare plant any seeds right now to replace them because they won’t germinate in this heat.
But now I have some harder choices. I have native shrubs that are struggling. My citrus trees are yellowing and curling in the heat. Should I try to save them? Or should I just walk away and let them burn? They are just plants after all. Someday the rains will return and I can replace them. The smoke fills my nostrils and the light dims. I start to stagger and lean against my garden fork. Who can I save?
It's the most difficult gardening season I've ever faced -- and central Texas can be difficult in a good year! I can only hope this isn't our future, but if it is, I can safely say that a spikier garden is in our future. So, have you planted those aloes I gave you? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI did! Although I chickened out and put them in a planter for now. I will transplant them when they get a little more established and it isn't so dry in their new home.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I need to clone myself 10 times to keep up with the hand-watering. I am also losing long-established plants even though I've kept them watered all along. It's not just the drought, but the heat as well. I don't think I'll be able to water this way next year if we continue this way...How about you? Laura
ReplyDeleteLaura - I'll need to make some decisions this winter, that's for sure. Hand watering isn't the answer. I'll probably add more organic matter and change up my mulch. I might also move some plants to space them more efficiently. I also will utilize cover crops more to keep the heat off the soil. Or just paint a bunch of tires white and place them around the yard. :-)
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