And it isn't stopping any time soon...the heat that is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Stupid phone, I cropped both of them and saved it to my drive but it isn't showing up.)  Almost the same time of day and only getting warmer for the remainder of the week. Left picture is today, right picture is yesterday. I am very thankful I do not live anywhere else in the 'sunbelt'. As I've said before, if I had the money we would be living way further north. It's only going to get worse all over the world folks. This is the climate disaster we've been warned about for decades.

Meanwhile, back in the garden...

I did get out last night to check on things but only covered up the cucumbers (which are looking fantastic by the way). I did water this morning and used the flat spray in the north bed to only water the zinnias. Watered the cukes and splashed some on the south bed. I had a hunch and checked the smaller bush in that bed and sure enough... 

 

The north and south beds both have native soil mixed in with the garden soil making it hold water longer. THAT is the difference from the raised bed. So I am only going to be splashing lightly and may even do another calcium watering on those two bushes.

According to the directions on the bottle don't use it as a foliar spray under heat stress. Right... not gonna do that. 7-10 days between applications. For tomatoes, peppers etc. 1-6 teaspoons per gallon (here's some math for you) 4-12 times during fruit development at 1 week intervals.  So it looks like I can use it once a week on those beds applied to the ground only.

Directions are so funky sometimes, 'one week intervals' is the same as 'every 7 days'. I had to look back but I did that last application about 6 days ago so picking an arbitrary day, will be doing it every Wednesday on those two beds with the higher concentration and won't be watering them as often. No matter what the soil looks like on the surface. The zinnias will be the only things getting water regularly since they're smaller. Speaking of those I thinned out one of the plants that was too close to another but they are all growing nicely and hope that the brutal heat this week doesn't cook them. I don't have the ability to make a sunshade for any of them.

Speaking of shade, the other difference in the south bed is it gets shade halfway through the day on the backside so that is also a moisture saver with the heavier soil. Can only imagine if I could build those two beds up using a retaining board or some sort. Just 12 inches would make all the difference in the world adding that much more depth and good soil. The north bed has the chicken wire under it but the south bed I would add a layer in like I did with the other bed. Hmmmm.

Still stinking proud of what I've done with this garden. Not too much diversity but it's a start. Wasn't expecting all the tomatoes to do so well and will plan accordingly next time. Adding a box frame on the north bed doesn't seem like it would be that difficult. As soon as it cools down in the winter I  might proposition Layla (if I see her) to use the remaining chicken wire on one of her beds.

Trying to be kind and generous but it's difficult when you are poor yourself and trying to scrape and save as much as possible for yourself. We all want to succeed and be proud of our accomplishments on our own and at the same time help others to feel the same way.

Early start today because....it's haht.

 Hardly a breeze out there to move the trees, clear blue sky and the neighborhood is eerily quiet for a Saturday morning. I think I got sunburn on my neck the other day and got heat rash as well. Another hot sticky day and will be buttoning up before we make one more trip to the store.

The sky is blue but not that blue. Just had to show the rare occurrence of a cloudless sky considering it's still morning.

Got a picture of 'Stumpy' the lizard scurrying up a tree on my walk this morning which Rocky totally missed. Then on our way back to the apartment he honed in on something behind the pipes. This is after a tiny baby lizard scooted around the middle pipe and ducked into the insulation. So there are lizard hatchings, just wish they would come to my garden.

Because everything was going good, the mulch did it's thing and barely had to water the north bed but of course the fence bed needed to be hit. As I was watering the south bed I noticed things hopping.

Remember that grasshopper that I let live?

Grasshopper nymphs. A lot of them, no more than maybe a quarter inch long. You know why she laid eggs and was hanging around? They lay their eggs in the dirt of undisturbed areas. What area is the most undisturbed?

 Yup. The one that doesn't weed, puts random plant cuttings and seeds in her plots and lets everything go wild. See the holes in the leaf? Technically grasshoppers eat the edges of leaves because of their anatomy but these little boogers could eat that.

I can't do a darn thing about it either. Hoping they continue to munch on allll her greenery and move on by the time my plants are up and growing. Even if I had killed/chased off that hopper she may well have laid her eggs already and it wouldn't have changed anything. Sigh. Heeerreee leezard leezard leeezard!

 So anyway, seems the sunflowers are busting out first and still waiting on the beans. Those flowers will be up and blooming by the time the beans are even half grown at this rate. Cucumber might be the one coming up in the south bed but given the leaf it's likely a sunflower. Could swear I put cucumbers there. Whatever comes up will be watched with a hawk eye on pests for sure. 

So that bed got a more soaking watering than the other beds. At this time of year, with my soil and exposure watering every day is a must. That fence bed sure could use some actual mulch though. Keep the soil cool and shaded, give the seeds a chance to come up.

Sigh. Dirt gardening.

Interesting weather and tnnels

 Due to a small jet flying overhead at 7:30 am and then a trash truck backing up a half hour later...combined with the muggy warm weather. I was up early today. It's going to be 90 today so by the time lunch rolls around we're going to be buttoned up for the day. I wanted to get up early anyhow to water first thing but a more gentle waking would have been nice.

Got out to the garden thinking I was going to see bone dry soil from hot and sunny yesterday. Keep forgetting how much clay is in the soil and also it clouded over last night. There was distant heat lightning/thunderstorm that I saw the lightning but never heard the thunder.

Doesn't look like it but that south bed is pretty much okay for water. If I didn't have seeds in the ground.

North bed was just fine, fence bed was drier than the other two so watered lightly. First I decided to dig out the purslane and a few other weeds. Surprisingly it was easy to dig between the fence and bed to a point.

I got the big ones dug out then turned to the north bed and decided to pinch out the tops of the peppers. Not a very neat job but they were already forming flowers and it is way too early for them to do that. Pinching out the tip will encourage side growth as well as putting more energy into a bigger bush.

The right one I did a little too far back, will see what happens.

After pinching out I moved to dig out some other weeds near the south bed and looky what I found.

Hmmm a small hole....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't take much to chip away the surrounding soil to find a tunnel access. 

Hmmm, the new hole is at the bottom of the picture, the other holes that I thought were lizard holes... I don't think so anymore. A progression of holes leading to the jade bush. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Scary that. The other holes that have been there now make more sense. They're air holes and just big enough for a gopher to pop it's head up, get bearings and then dig back down again.

 Digging out the weeds near the south bed....I found the main tunnel.

Right in line with the marigolds. I dug down then explored it a little for direction and that is a right turn to the bed.

Before and after flooding it. I put water down there and it never backed up in about 20 seconds or so. As I've said, I could run the water for ten minutes but not going to waste water in our current drought.

Will likely see that hole backed up tomorrow. I started pushing dirt back in but then remembered they don't like open holes, it means a predator might find them. I left it open and still want to find someone with a gopher snake.

That little plant in the corner of the neighbor bed... I was thinking it was grape but did a leaf ident on it and Leaf Snap says it could be okra? What the... that lady.... no words really. Okra get big and it's in the back corner and will likely crowd a lot of other things out. Including my bed.

And then there's all the weeds and grass growing in the bed. Sigh. If we had completely separate raised beds I wouldn't be so cranky about it but honestly. Throwing seeds in anywhere without knowing how big they get... ludicrous in this sort of planting situation. Will see what it really is in the coming weeks.

Just realized I still haven't put the zinnia seeds out yet. Might do that tomorrow. Just sprinkle them around in the beds. Because I know how big they get and what I have planted there.

Peas pulled, some watering and another bug

 When I water, I water really well. It also helps that the soil holds water for a longer time due to the clay content. North bed was still damp, not bothering with the potato bed and the south bed...needed water. The June gloom drifted in last night before dark and didn't drift back out again until the sun was well up in the morning. Hence why the soil was still good for water in some spots. 

The Marigolds are coloring up!

That was taken before watering! Soaked the heck out of it so it'll be good for another day or two or until I decide to plant something.

The tall peas are doing fantastic! One pod was ready so I picked it and tested the peas, they were much better flavored than the other ones. the lower leaves and mildew is getting worse of course but I don't dare spray Neem with the weather getting warmer. Have to hold off on that until evening for sure.

When I was getting pictures of this plant I noticed something on one of the pods and, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's a Glassy Winged Sharpshooter. Not a good bug.

Unfortunately I disturbed it too much and it flew off before I could destroy it. Here's why it's a bad bug..

"The main problem associated with the glassy-winged sharpshooter is that it can transmit the plant-pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa from one plant to another. This bacterium has a broad host range, able to infect hundreds of plant species in dozens of plant families."

"The main problem associated with the glassy-winged sharpshooter is that it can transmit the plant-pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa from one plant to another. This bacterium has a broad host range, able to infect hundreds of plant species in dozens of plant families. Although infection by X. fastidiosa does not lead to disease in many of these host plants, it does cause several important, often fatal, plant diseases in California. This includes Pierce’s disease of grape, alfalfa dwarf, almond leaf scorch, and mulberry leaf scorch. Other diseases caused by this bacterium in landscape plants include oleander leaf scorch, sweet gum dieback, and cherry plum leaf scorch. Other strains of X. fastidiosa cause phony peach disease, plum leaf scald, bacterial leaf scorch in a wide range of shade trees (sycamore, elm, maple, oak), citrus variegated chlorosis, coffee leaf scorch, and olive quick decline disease, but these diseases have not been confirmed in California. It should be noted that the strain of X. fastidiosa that causes oleander leaf scorch will not cause Pierce’s disease in grapes and the strain of X. fastidiosa that causes mulberry leaf scorch does not cause disease in oleanders or grapes. At this time there is no cure for any of these diseases. For more information on oleander leaf scorch, see the Pest Notes: Oleander Leaf Scorch."

 This is why it is a kill on sight bug.  I should have just taken the one picture and killed it immediately. If it were feeding on my plant (which I think it was due to the spots I saw on some of the pods) it needed to be dealt with immediately. Unfortunately there is no spray that is effective against them as they move quickly away from view. I'll have to give the lemon bush a good looking over to see if there's any damage or signs of feeding.

Anyway... watering was done, can't plant anything still since no seeds or plants. I've got all my cool season seeds and the red pepper seeds but I already have four pepper plants. In the cupboard I have pinto beans, rice and lentils. Still have two small tomatoes that I harvested but again, I want a different variety of tomato that doesn't crack. Going to look on maybe Craig's list or look for a local seed swap. I don't have any valuable seeds to swap unfortunately so that may be a dead end.

Before and after watering. The soil in that north bed was still pretty good but I pulled the peas and then cultivated around everything and watered lightly. The south bed got soaked well, again. This coming week I will be getting my retirement money and will plan my budget carefully and allow a measly ten dollars for garden. (If all I'm getting is $20 from the county for additional food money we have to consider it no extra money and budget and pinch accordingly).