The Upside To Drought

[SweetMissDaisy]

rebbetzin, I couldn't agree w/ you more about "i hate summer". The Texas summers really know how to zap all of the life out of this pacific northwest girl who's stuck in central Tx. It's like a depression comes over me in June and right about October, it lifts. Blah...

 

[digitS']

My lawn doesn't brown off all that much in drought, compared to most other peoples' around here -- because it has a very large component of birdsfoot trefoil, bugle, dandelion, wild lettuce, hawkweed, etc that stay green MUCH better than grass does

Pat

Well, I've got proof of that - and throw lawn violets into the mix.

The efforts of some of my neighbors bring a smile. Like the guy next door, Mr. Kentucky Blue Grass. He works so hard at keeping weeds out of a postage stamp front lawn. Back lawn is gravel - in his 3 component landscaping scheme KBG/arborvitae/gravel.

He fusses around out there along the edges trying to keep the knot weed out. That weed grows in the cracks in the asphalt road just everywhere. The sparrows love it (& no doubt, spread it). Meanwhile, his wife's 3 small dogs kill all the grass within 8' of his front door.

The KBG turns brown in August no matter how much water he throws at it. Elsewhere, Dutch clover forms the only surface level green in many neighborhood lawns. He would have weedkiller after that in a heartbeat. Maintains a neat brown summer lawn, tho' .

Steve

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

We're done with our rain too, until late fall. So everything is on drip or sprinklers. Before we put in a well on this property, our monthly summer water bill was over $300. Now its about $80, but we spend money on elec for the well pump and the aux pressure pump.

 

[rebbetzin]

rebbetzin, I couldn't agree w/ you more about "i hate summer". The Texas summers really know how to zap all of the life out of this pacific northwest girl who's stuck in central Tx. It's like a depression comes over me in June and right about October, it lifts. Blah...

I grew up in Southern CA. Never more than 15 mins. from the Pacific Ocean! Oh I miss the beach in the summer!

We are having days over 105 now and my plants look awful from noon til the sun quits hitting them!! The squash gets especially "pouty" when it is over 100! They perk back up when it cools off. I don't want to see the water bill this month! We have not had any rain since Jan or Feb. I do hope we get some soon!!

 

[rebbetzin]

Can we talk about the Monsoons? It is something of a foreign idea to me - rain in summer.

And about those weeds -- what is the toughest weed to kill in the hot sun? In my garden, it has to be purslane.

I once set a purslane plant upside down on a concrete block in the garden. Of course, the garden has sprinklers and water fell on the purlane but the block was in full sun during the heat of summer.

Three weeks later!! The weed had not only righted itself but it was flowering http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h22/Digit_007/Just 4 Fun/shocked.gif!

digitS'

Monsoons are wonderful, if you don't have to be out driving in them. Our streets flood, our riverbeds actually have water in them for a change! They can get a bit scary. One year my evaporative cooler blew off the roof, lightning hit a tree and split it in half, and it just missed the house. I heard a loud "crack" in the back yard,and went to see what it was, all I could see was GREEN in the back sliding glass door. Thankfully the tree was not any taller than it was. Just the very tips of the branches were up against the glass door.

Oh, Purslane is not a weed! It is a very nutritious plant! Here are a couple of links for you.

http://www.culinarymusings.com/2008/06/purslane-not-a-weed-but-a-wonder/

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/weedsdiseases/a/purslane.htm

I use it in salads, stir fry dishes and my chickens LOVE it!!

 

[nachoqtpie]

Interesting!! I keep pulling those things in my garden! Apparently I shouldn't be!

 

[digitS']

Don't let them flower and set seeds!

As far as I'm concerned:

Purslane makes a nice snack while weeding . . . just desserts!

Steve

 

[desertcat]

Had a record setting day yesterday. Got to 109 which is a new all-time high. Rain is approaching an all time low. The weather guy didn't say what that is, but we've had .68 since Jan 1st.

On the bright side, I have flowers on my tomatoes! The eggplant is still alive, the squash finally decided to sprout and my beans are holding out for air conditioning! At least it's finally looking hopeful. row

 

[digitS']

Oh Wow!! 'Cat!

I just looked at your weather! Not just terribly, terribly HOT but "breezy."

And, by tomorrow, officially: "windy!"

Stay safe & cool.

Steve

 

[rebbetzin]

When it is HOT and WINDY, there is no way to keep some plants alive! Even with the soil wet,
some plants just can't take the heat!