Unearthly Hot & Humid

[Dazed_Lily]

Need I say more(add mega humidity to those temps):
http://www.ksn.com/weather/forecastw.html

Yes, of course I must say more: All I manged to do tonight was harvest pollen and make crosses.
Used a gingerbread man cookie sheet to place stamens as I harvested (2 cultivars per gingerbread man--head and feet).

[Rebecca]

The hot and humid will be here for the weekend, in the meantime, nature is making sure the humidity will be high by dumping tons of rain on us. All day yesterday and more today. I barely got EMO pictures before the rain cam this morning and dashed any hopes of getting pictures of the late openers or second images of the SPUF's after they had warmed up and taken on their true form. Also dashed any thoughts I might have had of doing any dabbing and it will be too hot this weekend! Grrr!!!

I've had a few (very few) FFO's the last two days and haven't been able to get good images for my records, fortunately they will all bloom more so I will eventually geet pictures, just not FFO pictures. Drat and double drat!

Oh well, it is SUMMER, and whit that come the heat, humidity and haze, woopie. :rolleyes:


Rebecca

[txbeyer]

Noting the posts from folks in Indiana and Kansas about the heat and humidity, you need to give Austin a try. Today and throughout this week, we are forecasted for highs above 100.
If the humidity is low (like it is now at 30%) it is a bit more tolerable, but that puts a lot of stress on most plants, not to speak of gardeners! On top of that, we are still in drought conditions, even after some nice rains earlier this month. It's hibernation season - work outside until 10 AM or after 6 PM and lock youself in the house the rest of the day.

[Ann B.]

A double post! Wow! I never have figured out how to make that happen.

Bob, the humdity here rarely goes below 57% despite the drought. A lot like Houston, I am sure.

If you are online now, you can call up www.weather.com and enter zip code 36695 . Scroll down to the map and you can see some rain headed my way. Hopefully, this time it will not split up and go around us.

I've only had a trace of rain since early in May. Actually, I forget how long because it has been that long. It rained a mile from me, all around me, but not here. I'm finally getting the grass to be green in some areas of the lawn, but the vast majority of the grass is GONE.

What's neat about the Kansas weather is the temperature swings. Cathy does get a lot hotter than I do. So does Tom and he is 100 miles are so north of me.

[txbeyer]

Can you take away one of the duplicate posts? I have no idea what I did to cause that.

I know everyone in the central U. S. and west has been hotter than normal and lacking sufficient rain (except New England), but it surely creates a gardening dormant season - just too hot to do anything and planting new stuff and transplanting is out of the question. Tropicals are enjoying it though - Brugs blooming along with many other flowering tropicals. I surely hope that rain hits you smack on - and gives you a good soaking. That would really make a difference.

[Ann B.]

The extra post is gone.

It is now very dark, and the wind is blowing very hard. I suspect we will lose some branches with this storm.

Here's the live doppler, but you will have to look quick. The storm is moving vry fast. There are warnings all around me. Marine and tornado warnings...

http://weather.mgnetwork.com/cgi-bin/weatherIMD3/weather.cgi?user=KRG&alt=MGIMD_local_doppler&place=mobile&state=al

[Ann B.]

Well...

It split and went around us. We got a trace of rain, and it is still sprinkling. I won't complain, a trace is better than nothing and the temperatures cooled significantly.

It's sort of neat to watch the clouds when there is an upper level disturbance. One layer of clouds is moving north, while another is moving south and still another is staying still.

We lost power for about an hour. That seems to be happening a lot lately, so something is wrong at the station, I suppose.

Still, I don't mind losing power when it is not so terribly hot outside. Take away my lights, but don't take away my a/c and water!

Tomorrow is another day and another 40% chance. Hunter and I are working at school tomorrow, so we won't be able to water until we get home. The 1/8th inch of rain will help a little in that department.

Bummer!

[Dazed_Lily]

Braved the heat this morning and planted gladiola corms. Also, noticed some signs of crown rot on at least 1 maybe 2 daylilies in the vicinity. The sign of crown rot on the third daylily was that it was dead ! Surely, the rain, heat, drought, high heat cycle has had a hand in that ! Since I don't have Banrot I just sprinkled sulfur dust(probably ineffective but made me feel like I was doing something). I am headed back out to plant more corms and water some annuals. I guess it was 104 here; we have a heat advisory--sounds alot like Austin.

PS I just checked. Oh, goody ! 106 on Wednesday !
http://www.ksn.com/weather/forecastw.html

[sue salley]

Gee, and I have been complaining because we are in the lower 90's all week. (That is pretty hot for us.)
It has been very humid and we finally got a little storm the other night. Still had to water the plants in the sunniest location this morning.
Like Bob I go outside when I come in from work in the mornings and work til about lunch then back out in the evenings if I don't have to go back to work at 7pm. I very wisely set up my potting area in the most shady part of the yard.
I hope we all get a good soaking rain soon.

[Ann B.]

I think I should move all my plants to the school.

There was a really bad storm there this afternoon at dismissal time.

The school is 8 miles from my home.

Not a drop here...

It was awfully nice getting the cloud cover yesterday afternoon and the 1/8th inch of rain. The temps dropped down to the 70's, but you can't go outside and work when there is any lightening around.

A little boy, age 11 was hit and killed by lightening in the county next to us. Nice and sunny, but clouds nearby. I heard that he was holding a water hose. He was killed.

To me that is 'horrors', but it happens, so everyone please be SAFE!

[txbeyer]

Austin set a record going back to 1923 yesterday - 107 degrees!
With humidity around 50%, if felt like we were baking in a convection oven. They say highs will cool down to 95 by the end of this week. Relief is a relative term.

[Ann B.]

WOW!

Our record high EVER was 105 degrees and that was in August -- don't know the year...

Our record high for July is 104 degrees.

Yep! Sounds like you were in an oven especially with the humidity that high.

Our temps are running around 92 for the next few days. I see some really reasonable highs of 84-87 better part of next week. I haven't had a chance to really look at the weather system to see why the drops in temperature.

Right now, it is 90 and it 'feels like' 97 according to weather.com.

Did you get a 'feel like' temperature for the 107 degrees at 50% humidity? It had to be awful.

Cathy, how is the heat in Kansas?

[Ann B.]

I looked at Cathy's weather, and her high in Wichita was 108 degrees. Her record high for this time of the year is 113.

Gee, when I left school today, I had to use a few paper tissues to cover the steering wheel because it was too hot to touch. Then, when I touched the gear stick, I had to do the same. The process was repeated when I touched the blinker 'stick'.

I can't imagine 107 or 108! You'd have to wear leather gloves until the a/c cooled down everything that you have to touch!

Cathy has been quiet lately. I worry that maybe she went into 'heat dormancy' like some of my daylilies did...

Cathy, it does sound a lot like Austin, doesn't it?

[Dazed_Lily]

Yes, it is mind boggling to see temps predicted of 109 + here and it is only July. The good news is that I am able to be indoors. I have been out of the Landspro lopp or just about any other loop due to a week long intensive project at work. We are completely redoing a production line to decrease the cycle time to make a unit from start to finish. We start at 7 AM and so far have worked until 8 PM Monday night, midnight on Tuesday, 10 PM last night, who knows tonight. It is over by 10:30 AM tomorrow with a presentation to uprre mgt. and then we get the rest of Friday off. I will be crashing ! My poor dayliulies; I don't even want to know what's going on with them !
I'll be back soon !

[Ann B.]

Thanks for letting us know the scoop, Cathy. I bet you will crash after all of that. Get some good rest! I can hear your daylilies calling you from here. LAS!

The power went off for just a little bit at school today, but there was no rain (except for a few heavy drops) at school. When I got home, the street was half wet. We apparently received a trace of rain, so the sprinkler has been moved once again and is running.

No school tomorrow, so I hope to sow some more daylily seeds and get some more to soak. Our temps are SUPPOSED to go down to the upper 80's. If it does, I will get some weeding and repotting done. I hope, I hope!

BTW, I have a LOT of gladiola bulbs to get in the ground. They may have to be planted really shallow just so that they do not go bad on me. It appears to me that when I plant them too shallow, they produce more 'baby' offsets, so I will have to give them plenty of room.

I adore gladiola. Years ago, I would plant a dozen at a time each week. That gave me prolonged blooms, and I could use them for flower arrangements. I think I may do that again, so I can take flowers to school for the office workers. They do get a kick out of being given flowers and all of the school visitors get to enjoy them as well!

I also have some caladiums to plant. Just haven't gotten around to it, yet. Those are also planted rather shallow, so I need to get busy, heat or no heat.

Good luck on the presentation!:D

[Ann B.]

Holy, Moly!

Cathy and Bob, you are both baking in the heat with temps above 100!

We have started getting a few scattered thunderstorms, and our temps have dropped down more to the normal 90 or so. The humidity is tremendous, but the cloud cover helps a lot (when we have it).

At least there are many of those you know what kinds of storms in the forecast, huh?

[txbeyer]

I think the entire country (with few exceptions) is in a heat wave with above normal temps this summer. Our forecast is for upper 98/99 all this coming week with no chance of rain. Water is very expensive in Austin and the city urges conservation so I water minimally - just to keep things alive. Our nearby Lake Travis is 27 feet below normal and that's no exaggeration. We just hope for an occasional cloud or breeze to moderate the temperatures but they are few and far between. So from Austin, I'm sharing everyone's pain :(

[Dazed_Lily]

Yes, Ann ! I am starting to wonder if I should go back to my garden vision of 3 years ago which was Xeriscape ! I just look at my daylilies and shake my head. I can give them water and superthrive but beyond that they aren't in my hands. The ones that were moved from the other house and just recently planted, in some cases, are rising from the 'ashes' and putting up new growth. I wish the same could be said for the recently purchased/planted ones(from spring) as they have yet to send up any new growth from the dead leaves that remain. While somewhat delusional, I somethimes say to myself that they are just dormant.
We are headed into yet another week of 100+ temps with some promise of rain in the latter half with temps close to 100.
I'm headed out to do a garden walkabout/assessment and see who needs what. After that I'll retreat to the a/c'ed house for the remainder of the day!

UPDATE: I just returned from the walkabout followed by superthrive applications. I did see some of the newly purchased ones sending up new green growth; also, some of the moved ones coming up from the 'ashes'. I am 'missing' some near the pond; I will have to question the ducks....I'm just hoping that those dl's will pop back up from roots and that there wasn't any 'ducky-business' involved in their disappearance.

[sue salley]

I don't know how you all stand temps in the 100's and humidity. We have been in the lower 90's and it is getting to me. It is humid here all summer. We finally got enough rain yesterday to do some good. Then it misted all day. It was so nice. And all the plants look very happy today.
I hope we have a nice long fall so I can play catch up with all I didn't get done while it has been so hot this summer. Thank goodness I got a lot done before the temps started to rise.

[Rebecca]

Our forecast isn't a pleasent one, not for several more days! Humidity nearing 80% and temps in the mid 90's and enough "hot air" blowing around to make the "heat index" jump to 105 to 110 F.

I broke down Saturday and closed the windows and turned on the A/C, I just couldn't take the H/H anymore! Still running a couple of fans to keep this cooler air moving and circulating better.

Was actually nice at 8:30 this morning, but by 9, the humidity was getting to me and the temp had really jumped up there. Did some pollen dabbing, but am not to hopeful about the out come.

Even the kitties are staying inside, the ones that want to anyway. Old 'Baby' still insists on staying outside, so she must have a really cool place she holes up in.

Will be relieved when this heat wave is finished later in the week and hope we get a long enough repreive to be able to get ready for the next one!

I do not like this hot weather, but it is better than freezeing one's but off and us northeners know that those teps will be here all to soon and last a lot longer than our little heat waves!



Stay cool all y'all!


Rebecca

[Ann B.]

You aren't going to believe this! We are back to our 'normal' summertime pattern of partly cloudy skies and chances of afternoon thunderstorms.

Plus additional periods of rain at night and in the morning. In fact, last night, right after taking pictures of the epi bloom, it rained about 1/2". Late this morning, it was pouring down rain with LOTS of lighning. We received about 2" of rain on that one.

Temps have 'cooled' down to 90-91 degree highs, but the humidity is in the 80-90% range.

Well, I won't complain at all. Now, all I have to do is start DIGGING! The ground is definitiely wet...

[Ann B.]

Gee!

It seems strange to be 'less' hot here than you are!

I guess I didn't realize how much the clouds and rain cool us down in the summer, but I do appreciate it more now.

We received another inch of rain today. That still leaves us 20" below the average the this time of the year.

I won't complain, though. In fact, I am very grateful. The plants and yard are loving the moisture. Besides, if I complain, it might bring bad news which is going to enter the Gulf in the next few days.

[Dazed_Lily]

Since early evening last night we've had wonderrful rain !!!! At least 4 inches in the dog dish--so maybe that's 3 inches. Yay !

[Ann B.]

Way to go, Cathy!!!!

4 inches will go a long way as long as you don't get it all within one hour, huh?

I believe the rain missed us today, but I could hear the thunder. When I looked at the doppler, it was a small storm about 5-8 miles from here.

Everything is beginning to look lush, thick and green again. Unfortunately, in the lawn, that means lots of weeds. Gee, what am I saying? In the potted plants are lots of green weeds also.

But I have to tell you that I would rather be weeding in 88-90 degree heat than hauling around 100's of feet of water hoses in 96 degree heat.

I still have two daylilies blooming. One is the the Pink Charm (I think) look alike. It has bloomed for months now. That one is going to take front stage in my gardens. I could use LOTS of these. Another one that is blooming is a small spidery red.

Lots of other things are in bloom, and because I worked so hard to get late summer and fall blooms, I am seeing more and more of those!

Happy Days are here again....

;) :D :D :D

[Rebecca]

It rained here overnight, early this morning and it's been raining again until just a few minutes ago! It felt so good this morning I turned off the A/C, opened windows and let the fresh air come on in! Course all the flies in the county took it as an invitation for them to come it too and they've been buggin the heck out of me!

Harvested my second pod today and the nieghbors' dog harvested one as well. Of course it wasn't quite ready so I have it's almost stem in a water-filled sponge hoping it will finish and not rot. Fortunately I made two of the same cross and the second pod is still safe from the maurading mutt. She's been walking through the back bed a lot lately, but I actully caught her today and scolded her soundly. I can always tell when she's benn in there as she knocks things over, she's so fat she can hardly pick her feet up.

Back to working on the pirce list!


Rebecca

[Dazed_Lily]

What an image you describe of that pudgey pod picker.
At least you can blame the dog. I totally missed a good pod and it opened. Last night I was out there on my hands and knees combing through the grass and mulch. Found 1 that looked like something had started to eat it--and put it in the pot. Found 2 other 'good' ones and that was it. It was Yabba Dabba Do x Her Majesty(a way cool cascading curl queen from years ago-it's a Nesmith--the photos on the internet are awful-I'll post my own some day).
Thunder has been rumbling and I've been grumbling (a la Clara Peller): "Where's the Rain ?!" :D

[txbeyer]

Still no rain in Austin in six weeks and daily highs this past week of over 100 degrees every day. We are roasting, toasting, and descicating all at once. Only the lower humidity makes it bearable - that and air conditioning to hibernate in. I swear Austin must be a "plant toughness" proving ground. If it can survive here, it can grow anywhere. In Houston, I had to worry about getting plants thru winter, here it's worrying about getting them through both summer and winter. I'm getting adjusted to the climate though and learning how to adjust my gardening to accomodate it. I'm just really surprised how hot it has been north of us in the midwest!

[Dazed_Lily]

It is mind boggling. 6 weeks w/o rain ?! If we lose our electricity we'll be in trouble, I too have been a summer hibernator.

For what it is worth, here is a little humor borrowed from 'another' message board. In answer to the question, "how hot is it ?" there was this reply:
It's so hot that I picked stewed tomatoes off the tomato plants, dug baked potatoes from the ground and had to watch out for popping corn flying off the corn stalks !". :D

[Dazed_Lily]

Sorry to use the "r" word Bob but Boy oh boy did we get a nice gentle rain ! Started last evening and off and on throughout the day. I will try to convince the clouds to float to Austin !

[Ann B.]

Mmmmm.... It hasn't rained here for the last few days. The first day back for the students is tomorrow, so I have been over my head trying to get my room ready, materials ready and go to all the teacher work day meetings.

All is looking good, despite the fact that I still have more to do... Irregardless, the first thing I will do when I get home tomorrow is to turn on my sprinklers. The hibiscus are starting to wilt, but everything else looks good.

Canna's are finally growing and blooming like crazy. All September blooming plants that I have posted before are blooming as well as a few others.

The black elephant ear seems to like where it is sitting, so it will go in the ground right where the pot is.

Brugs are starting to bud and bloom like crazy, so I suppose that means the nights are getting cooler. I haven't had time to really check on that.

I have GOT to start working in the flower beds. Weeds are absolutely taking over.

Sure hope everyone gets some rain soon!

[Dazed_Lily]

the first thing I will do when I get home tomorrow is to turn on my sprinklers.

for some reason, maybe because it's the first day back to school, I thought you were going to finish that sentence with

and run through them !!!!! :D

[Ann B.]

ROFL!!!

I may feel like doing just that when I get home!!!!!

It's going to be an interesting day to say the least...

[Ann B.]

It was 96 dgrees when I got home (feels like 101). My feet were killing me. Homeroom lasted over an hour and that cut into my planning block. Lunch (25 minutes in the middle of class) was busy running to the office and reporting "No shows" that showed up in my class (after homeroom).

It was a good day, and the kids were very good.

Tomorrow is more of the same, and then it is the normal schedule which will be somewhat easier.

No sprinklers for the plants today. I sure hope that the globs of rain that are comnig down from the north of us make it here before desolving.

Otherwise, my plants will have to wait another day.

The dehumidifier that I installed in my room is working wonders. I cannot run it during the day, but it cuts off sometimes during the evening because the bucket fills. We are talking about what appears to be about 1.5 gallons or more of water.

[Dazed_Lily]

That could be very true !
I just wanted to mention, before I forget, that I'll be on vacation 8/19-8/29 with no access to e-mail. Cold turkey !
I'm visiting my Mom; her 88th birthday will be while I'm there.
She is a hoot. She told me that the other day she wanted to make corn muffins with raisins but couldn't find any raisins. She had a box of Raisin Bran cereal and dumped it out and picked out the raisins and boiled them and used them in the corn muffins. She says she would have picked them out of her cereal anyway. Resourceful !
No plans; I just go with the flow. Last time I painted her refrigerator. I know she has some arborvitae needing trimming; she says I did a good job last time. Also, need to hang some planters with artificial plants. There is a Craft Fair on Sunday(day 3--vendors should be negotiable by then!).
I'll be posting til Friday but just wanted to mention why I'm missing.
Hubby is staying home with the dog and plants. I am trying to place all my plants near the sprinkler heads as I cannot count on hubby to take care of them.
:D

[Ann B.]

Fortunately, I did get at least an inch of rain last night. Unfortunately, it thundered extremely loud for hours, so I didn't get much sleep. The worst of the storm was to the east of me, but some of the thunder sounded like it was next door.

Cathy, we're going to miss you, but you enjoy the time with your Mom.

In the meantime, keep on plugging here, and we will try to have plenty for you to read when you get back.

Hey, everyone! We have to think of some good ones to surprise her when she gets back. Invite all your friends!