" ... a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted ... " (Ecclesiastes 3:2b)
We did NOT pick a very good year to have a garden! For nearly 2 straight months now (more or less), we've had OVER-100-degree temperatures. For awhile, we were able to keep things going, and had a little success at first. Younger Son's sweet peas did pretty well, and he had a lot of fun with that. My radishes did awesomely. Lettuce would've been good if I hadn't planted it too deep. (Live and learn, ha!) But the CONSTANT, CONSTANT, CONSTANT scorching heat has taken its toll. Even with daily watering.
Here awhile back, I finally gave up on all the various little things I had on the east side, and just simply pulled them all up. It wasn't worth it. So up came the jalapeno pepper plant, the tomato starts, the dill, the flowers (marigold, zinnia, etc.), and the long row of sunflowers that just wasn't doing anything. You have to understand it was all stunted, shrivelled and not doing well at all. Even with water. It's just been TOO HOT.
Then, more things weren't doing well, to the point of despair. So up came the green beans and the west rows of sunflowers. Yesterday I pulled up one of the tomato plants that was beyond help. (The other 3 may have a chance yet.) Younger Son's pumpkin vine bit the dust, just shriveled up and died, even with daily watering. And it had a pumpkin started finally.
So ... we'll see how the corn fares (short, but has lots of ears!), along with the summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes and broom corn. The Morning Glories are going well as long as you keep the water on them daily. (No flowers yet, though.)
We are all praying for RAIN and RELIEF. Please join us.
Rhonda. .congrats on your gardening efforts!! I hope you try again next year. I believe in lots of mulch. .in the veggie garden we use newspapers covered with wheat straw or hay. .whichever we can get. .some people also use old leaves. .it makes ALL the difference in the world. .now then. .my tomatoes STILL don't have any maters. .too darn hot!! But, at least the plants are surviving and growing, albeit it stunted..as you found too! hope the corn is a bumper crop!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melanie, I hear you about the mulch suggestion. I think my stamina just wasn't there to deal with so much! We even got these straw bales, and I didn't undo any of them. So ... hopefully we can plan a little better for this next time around. J's already talking about "next year," which is good! We're going to stick with a few basic things, and I think we'll add potatoes. :) This was just not a good year to garden! Especially for "non-green-thumbs" like us. LOL :)
ReplyDeleteOh you have really had heat in your part of the country. I am praying for relief and rain for you. You can see how our ancestors would have had a hungry winter if we had to rely on the weather to cooperate for a bountiful harvest.
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