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Today
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Month-to-Date Totals
Temperatures Precipitation
91°F Record High
Highest
so far 84°F Lowest 23°F so far 70°F Avg. High 41°F Avg. Low 23°F Record Low
Average 0.44 i
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
A little bit of rain fell overnight
Last night, soaking the ground but not staying for long. This morning I woke up to see a light sheet of ice in the dog's bowl outside. The frost blanket over the tomatoes was icy, but none of the plants died.
The mesquite is slowly showing green buds, but the Chinese date tree's leaves died off a few days ago. The beans I planted all were bent by the winds, and the red cabbage looks pretty abused, too.
The mesquite is slowly showing green buds, but the Chinese date tree's leaves died off a few days ago. The beans I planted all were bent by the winds, and the red cabbage looks pretty abused, too.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
More plants in
Yesterday and today I worked on the large cinderbox bed, the last of the beds on the western side. The soil was heavily clay, so I spent a good time tilling the soil and removing some rather large rocks from its depth, a few larger than a skull. I added some of the "mulch" and planted four cabages, a row of beets, some spinach, and today added four green beans, more beets, and tilled some more. The hot sun yesterday tired me out, and today I only worked for about an hour before I stopped and took the dogs on a walk instead. The wind started picking up, filling the air with sand, and that's when I called it a day.
Something already found my red cabbage plants, though, and many of the leaves have been chewed off. I dropped some cayenne sauce on the leaves to thwart off any rabbits from eating the red cabbage (the white cabbage was left intact).
We are now in the windy spring season. I will hold off from planting any more seedlings outside for a while.
Something already found my red cabbage plants, though, and many of the leaves have been chewed off. I dropped some cayenne sauce on the leaves to thwart off any rabbits from eating the red cabbage (the white cabbage was left intact).
We are now in the windy spring season. I will hold off from planting any more seedlings outside for a while.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Planting more beds
Today was another busy day tilling, drenching, mixing and sowing seeds in three beds and one large one. More cabbage, beans,tomatoes, spinach and beets were planted. Everything that I bought yesterday got planted and then seeds were added. I spotted cabbage moths as soon as cabbage was planted in the soil. But otherwise the soil itself was free of any grubs or other larvae.
Kevin went to the local transfer station to pick up a truckload of mulch for $15 and came back shortly afternoon with a truckload of very good stuff. It's good enough to use as a soil. His co-workers swear by this stuff. We'll go back and get a second load in a few months.
I took many breaks as the sun was hot, and by mid afternoon I could feel my lips were chapped and the top of my head sunburned. I was tired and exhausted. Kevin will do the last big bed for me tomorrow while I'm taking a state exam.
I planted nasturtiums around the apricot and peach trees. The flowers allegedly repel aphids up trees. The eastern beds will get done before the monsoon. Right now the beds are solarizing. The western beds will be enough for us for the next few months. I still have the many containers to get done, the trash to clean up, the dead grass to remove. There's a lot that needs to be done in the back yard.
Kevin went to the local transfer station to pick up a truckload of mulch for $15 and came back shortly afternoon with a truckload of very good stuff. It's good enough to use as a soil. His co-workers swear by this stuff. We'll go back and get a second load in a few months.
I took many breaks as the sun was hot, and by mid afternoon I could feel my lips were chapped and the top of my head sunburned. I was tired and exhausted. Kevin will do the last big bed for me tomorrow while I'm taking a state exam.
I planted nasturtiums around the apricot and peach trees. The flowers allegedly repel aphids up trees. The eastern beds will get done before the monsoon. Right now the beds are solarizing. The western beds will be enough for us for the next few months. I still have the many containers to get done, the trash to clean up, the dead grass to remove. There's a lot that needs to be done in the back yard.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Getting the garden started
This morning I got the plants that I bought yesterday into the soil. Ten strawberries are sharing a 4x4 raised bed with spinach, another 4x4 bed is sharing red cabbage with beets, and three heirloom tomatoes are now in the large 4x10 bed. I sprinkled marigold seeds around the tomatoes, planted two pea seedlings and a few beet seeds...there should be something coming up by the end of the month.
I used all the compost for that large bed, and it barely covered the surface.
I want to get more basil plants around the tomatoes. I want to use more herbs this year, as a means to help repel insects.
I have the Three Sisters plot solarizing for another two months.
I still have all these bean and tomato seedlings from the germination sets coming up. The tomatoes don't seem to be growing much now anyway. Getting those transplanted will be difficult.
I used all the compost for that large bed, and it barely covered the surface.
I want to get more basil plants around the tomatoes. I want to use more herbs this year, as a means to help repel insects.
I have the Three Sisters plot solarizing for another two months.
I still have all these bean and tomato seedlings from the germination sets coming up. The tomatoes don't seem to be growing much now anyway. Getting those transplanted will be difficult.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Spring has sprung!
I'm on spring break this week and what better time to get the garden ready. The compost isn't as much as predicted; I have beans and potatoes growing in it right now and I am transplanting all of those as I find them. I plan on renewing the strawberry patch and setting in tomatoes, peppers and red cabbage. If I do a little each day, I won't be so overwhelmed.
My peach tree is now budding. Honey bees are going crazy in the front yard around the two trees. The rosemary shrub is also in bloom and this year I'm going to make some cuttings and propagate the shrubs up front to plant younger ones in the back. The two trees I see no new growth for now are my mesquite and the palo verde tree. Even my mimosa tree is budding.
I transplanted ten bean plants from the germination set. I'm finding that although the germination set helps the seeds sprout fast, the plants shoot up long and lanky. I hope they make the transplant. All the old potato cuttings I transplanted from the compost pile died except for one, which looks like it set and will grow in place.
It reached close to 90F today in Tucson, mid 80s here.
My Yellow Bird of Paradise shrubs look like they took a heavy beating from the deep freeze. The tips on both shrubs look and feel dead. The fruitless mulberry tree is also lifeless, as are my bottlebrush tree, my tecoma stans and all the oleander trees. One Russian sage is coming back. My rosemary's in bloom. The verdana all seem ready to be cut close to the ground to stimulate new growth. The dead stuff is excuse enough to start replanting my front yard to a more native plant habitat.
I'm still holding out on our palm tree. The palm must be 30 years old and it's hard to know from my vantage point if the palm survived the freeze as it's too high up to be able to check its internal stalk for new growth. But all the exterior fronds are dead and hanging on, yet birds are still using the palm as their nest. I saw a redtailed hawk chase a ringneck dove today from the palm tree. This time the dove made it, but next time it may not be so lucky. I'd hate to release my dove into such a dangerous environment, but keeping it encaged is perhaps inhumane as well.
My peach tree is now budding. Honey bees are going crazy in the front yard around the two trees. The rosemary shrub is also in bloom and this year I'm going to make some cuttings and propagate the shrubs up front to plant younger ones in the back. The two trees I see no new growth for now are my mesquite and the palo verde tree. Even my mimosa tree is budding.
I transplanted ten bean plants from the germination set. I'm finding that although the germination set helps the seeds sprout fast, the plants shoot up long and lanky. I hope they make the transplant. All the old potato cuttings I transplanted from the compost pile died except for one, which looks like it set and will grow in place.
It reached close to 90F today in Tucson, mid 80s here.
My Yellow Bird of Paradise shrubs look like they took a heavy beating from the deep freeze. The tips on both shrubs look and feel dead. The fruitless mulberry tree is also lifeless, as are my bottlebrush tree, my tecoma stans and all the oleander trees. One Russian sage is coming back. My rosemary's in bloom. The verdana all seem ready to be cut close to the ground to stimulate new growth. The dead stuff is excuse enough to start replanting my front yard to a more native plant habitat.
I'm still holding out on our palm tree. The palm must be 30 years old and it's hard to know from my vantage point if the palm survived the freeze as it's too high up to be able to check its internal stalk for new growth. But all the exterior fronds are dead and hanging on, yet birds are still using the palm as their nest. I saw a redtailed hawk chase a ringneck dove today from the palm tree. This time the dove made it, but next time it may not be so lucky. I'd hate to release my dove into such a dangerous environment, but keeping it encaged is perhaps inhumane as well.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The first blossoms
It looks like my Bartlett pear and apricot tree survived last months freeze. Both are now budding and blooming respectively. Both trees are in bud, too, with the taller one a bit ahead of the sicklier one. My Chinese date tree is budding as well as its other foreign tree.
My aloe vera and fir cracker succulent both died for sure, however, and it won't be another month before I see the real damage of the deadly freeze. The ice plant is dead. I'm worried about the bottlebrush shrub and my tecoma stans. I don't plan on replacing anything as of yet. All my roses are alive; I just can't seem to get rid of them!
I will have a truck load of organic waste to take to the transfer station.
I will be busy this spring pruning trees I haven't pruned yet, simply because I only prune to get rid of dead branches rather than prune for aesthetics. I will have my work cut out for me. I'll probably prune the salvia shrubs down a bit to get rid of the langy look. And for the first time I'm going to use a leaf sucker to pick up all the dead leaves that have provided the salvia some frost protection.
My germination sets are coming along. The beets are now coming up. Some of my beans are now transplanted but one already fell victim to a bird as its stem was cut off and uprooted yesterday. Now I'm hoping the overnight winds didn't blow any pots over...
I prepped one garden bed but still have five more to go.
I "rescued" several potato seedlings from the compost by transplanting them. A few of the seven that I planted should survive the ordeal.
Weather will be warm and spring-like for the next ten days. The birds outside are already using the bird feeders as their ralley point. The black sunflower seeds remain popular.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A beautiful spring day!
It shot up near 80 today and that prompted me to place some of the germination sets out in real sunlight and turn the lamps off inside. The beans are already about six inches tall. I planted a good 20 new plants this afternoon.
I have to prep the raised beds this weekend.
My apricot, rose shrub and Chinese date trees are all budding.
I cut off all the mushy cactus pads from the frost-damaged cacti and removed the dead ice plant around the house. In some areas the entire plants were dead, and not just the top foilage. I'm not sure I'm going to replace the ice plant with anything.
I ordered a leaf blower-vacuum that I plan on using in the front yard to suck up all the dead leaves come time to prep the front yard for new growth! I don't have any major plans for this year of planting new stuff. What I do need to do is trim all the shrubs of their dead twigs and stuff. There's been more frost damage than at first expected: the oleander against the east wall of the house and the bottle brush shrub all look frost damaged.
I have to prep the raised beds this weekend.
My apricot, rose shrub and Chinese date trees are all budding.
I cut off all the mushy cactus pads from the frost-damaged cacti and removed the dead ice plant around the house. In some areas the entire plants were dead, and not just the top foilage. I'm not sure I'm going to replace the ice plant with anything.
I ordered a leaf blower-vacuum that I plan on using in the front yard to suck up all the dead leaves come time to prep the front yard for new growth! I don't have any major plans for this year of planting new stuff. What I do need to do is trim all the shrubs of their dead twigs and stuff. There's been more frost damage than at first expected: the oleander against the east wall of the house and the bottle brush shrub all look frost damaged.
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