Watering the Garden

I was up before seven this morning to turn the sprinkler on in my vegetable garden.  The temperature hit 100 yesterday, a record for that date.  That kind of heat sucks the moisture out of the plants faster than they can replace it.  We had a good rain a week ago, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of the vegetation.

The city allows you to water twice a week, in the morning until ten, then at night starting at 7pm.  Of course, the system is really designed for people with sprinkler systems, not people like me who have to drag hoses around.  I go out every 45 minutes to move my sprinkler so that I can have the back yard watered by ten.  This evening I will do the same in front.  I do not have a big yard

With the advent of high temperatures, I will be watering not only my vegetable garden and flower beds, but areas of lawn ( bare of grass) so that the trees will get plenty of water.  I lost a big elm in front this spring and a native pecan.  The pecan was a surprise because 20 years ago, I tried to get rid of that tree and it just came  back.  Now, I did nothing and it's dead.  I wonder what is going on under the ground because the elm and pecan were in the same area.  Is something toxic buried there? Since my house is 97 years old, probably not.

I watered a section of the backyard where I will sow my okra seed.  This will be the last vegetable I will put in.  I adore okra.  I especially like it raw, right off the stalk.  I may trying putting in some beans with the okra.  The soil where I will put the okra needs to be turned and compost and fertilizer worked in , but the pain in my back has become a living, pulsing torment, so I will delay until the weekend.

Photo by  bucklava

The tomatoes are coming in.  The Bonito Oro has wonderful, golf ball size fruit.  The cherry tomatoes continue to perform well.  I bought bacon and lettuce yesterday, so today we can have BLT's from the enormous tomatoes produced by Solar Set.  I am not sure I save any money with the garden, but the taste of fresh produce can brighten your whole day.