Early watering and extra worries define these hot days
This instant-read thermometer shows the air temperature at 104.2 degrees in shade at 2:35 p.m. today, July 4. It was about 9 degrees higher in full sun. Kathy Morrison
Sacramento gardeners know how to handle summer heat: It comes with the territory. But the current extended heat wave is testing even the most experienced among us. We planted gardens in the expectation of crops, flowers, shade and beauty. Our gardens in turn depend on us to provide optimum conditions for growth. Not unlike children, come to think of it.
I was contemplating all this early today while at my community garden plot. Here, on the morning of a national holiday, it was already 79 degrees, and more than a few of us were up, dressed and working for the survival of our plants -- tending, watering, adjusting shade cloth. Quite a dedicated bunch.
With this in mind, I present the Heat Wave Edition of "You Know You're a Gardener When ..."
-- Your first thought on waking at daylight is "Did the irrigation system go on?" And you jump out of bed to check.
-- The next thing you do is pop open the worm bin, to make sure it's not getting too hot. And prepare a treat for the occupants: "Look, I have watermelon rind for you, your favorite!"
-- You're tempted to put sunscreen on your tomatoes to prevent sunscald. (Uh, don't, but use on lot on yourself. Use shade cloth, burlap or even a lace tablecloth to protect any tomatoes exposed to direct sun.)
-- You decide that deadheading the roses would just mislead them about current conditions.
-- You're willing to sacrifice your beach umbrella to protect that expensive new shrub.
-- You accidentally-on-purpose spray yourself with the hose while wetting down the raised beds.
-- Like an attentive waitperson, you wander around outside with a jug of water asking, "Anyone need a refill?" That's always a yes for the little water dishes set out for the bees and wasps -- they dry out in just a few hours.
-- You take your kitchen instant-read thermometer outside to check the afternoon sun-vs.-shade temperatures. It proves there's about 9 degrees difference.
-- You apologize profusely to the citrus tree that hasn't been fertilized since early spring. "You'll just have to wait 'til it's cooler -- fertilizer now isn't recommended."
-- You stand at the window, considering whether it's worth it to run outside into late-afternoon heat to pick some basil for dinner. And then you do it.
-- You decide that any floppy branches create shade and just let them be. For now.
-- You silently celebrate the heat death of weeds.
Happy Fourth of July, gardeners, and congrats on making it this far! Let's all hope for cooler days ahead.
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Garden Checklist for week of Sept. 8
Temperatures are headed down to normal. The rest of the month kicks off fall planting season:
* Harvest tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and eggplant.
* Compost annuals and vegetable crops that have finished producing.
* Cultivate and add compost to the soil to replenish its nutrients for fall and winter vegetables and flowers.
* Fertilize deciduous fruit trees.
* Plant onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, bok choy, spinach and potatoes directly into the vegetable beds.
* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower as well as lettuce seedlings.
* Sow seeds of California poppies, clarkia and African daisies.
* Transplant cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas, fairy primroses, calendulas, stocks and snapdragons.
* Divide and replant bulbs, rhizomes and perennials.
* Dig up and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle.
* Divide and transplant peonies that have become overcrowded. Replant with “eyes” about an inch below the soil surface.