Gardening

Denninmi

(6,581 posts) Wed Jul 25, 2012, 05:52 PM Jul 2012

The heat, my God, the heat. How do you folks in the South stand this year after year?

I've HAD IT

This heat is driving my nuts. It's hard to have much enthusiasm for gardening when it's constantly hot and humid.

What do people in the south and southwest do in the hot season -- just not have a garden, ignore it and let it go on autopilot, do everything outdoors before 8:00 in the morning?

10 replies

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The heat, my God, the heat. How do you folks in the South stand this year after year? (Original Post) Denninmi Jul 2012 OP

I moved 1200 miles north to escape the heat, LWolf Jul 2012 #1

Maybe here? elleng Jul 2012 #2

It's called air conditioning. Curmudgeoness Jul 2012 #3

We were in the U.P. last week and it hit 94 degrees in the Porcupine Mountains Kolesar Jul 2012 #4

I live in Austin. I have a garden every year. Javaman Jul 2012 #5

I'm not standing it. It's been around 100 degrees here for two months sinkingfeeling Jul 2012 #6

I live in Houston and I garden every day, sometimes up to 6 hours a day or more.... flying_wahini Jul 2012 #7

yes..it's in the timing drthais Oct 2012 #8

Wow, my post was prophetic. Denninmi Oct 2012 #9

I'm in Los Angeles and thinking about starting seeds in the house very soon. JDPriestly Oct 2012 #10

LWolf

(46,179 posts)

1. I moved 1200 miles north to escape the heat,

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Wed Jul 25, 2012, 07:02 PM

Jul 2012

and it can still be too hot to do much in the daytime during parts of the summer, especially July.

Where does it never get hotter than the 70s?

elleng

(135,843 posts)

2. Maybe here?

Reply to LWolf (Reply #1)

Wed Jul 25, 2012, 07:11 PM

Jul 2012

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10367309

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)

3. It's called air conditioning.

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Wed Jul 25, 2012, 07:40 PM

Jul 2012

When I lived in Houston, that got me through the summers. And also the thought that in the middle of the winter, I would not be scraping ice and snow off the car all the time and worrying about how bad the roads are.

As to gardening, I did everything very early in the morning or very late in the evening. But there were things that just would not grow in the middle of the summer there. You had to adjust.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)

4. We were in the U.P. last week and it hit 94 degrees in the Porcupine Mountains

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Thu Jul 26, 2012, 07:30 AM

Jul 2012

We were hiking at ~1200 feet altitude near the 48th parallel.
I jumped into Lake Superior up to my neck.

Javaman

(63,062 posts)

5. I live in Austin. I have a garden every year.

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Thu Jul 26, 2012, 08:35 AM

Jul 2012

You just have to know what to grow and how to grow it. I just put in pumpkins

sinkingfeeling

(52,964 posts)

6. I'm not standing it. It's been around 100 degrees here for two months

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Thu Jul 26, 2012, 10:46 AM

Jul 2012

with a grand total of 1 1/2 inches of rain. I have to water my plants every single day.

flying_wahini

(7,983 posts)

7. I live in Houston and I garden every day, sometimes up to 6 hours a day or more....

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Thu Jul 26, 2012, 09:47 PM

Jul 2012

Yes, it is hot.... but I acclimate my body every year by being outside in it just about every day ...

although we have already had 32 or more inches of rain this year and we hit 100 degrees way back in June - humidity is pretty bad but

you really Can get used to it. I sweat a LOT. The mosquitoes are the worst.

drthais

(872 posts)

8. yes..it's in the timing

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Mon Oct 8, 2012, 09:53 PM

Oct 2012

6-8 in the morning
6-8 in the evening
that's how we do it.
stay in during the heat of the day.

We don't allow our CSA members out n the garden at any other times!

Denninmi

(6,581 posts)

9. Wow, my post was prophetic.

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Tue Oct 9, 2012, 09:00 AM

Oct 2012

Sorry, just a little private joke with myself.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)

10. I'm in Los Angeles and thinking about starting seeds in the house very soon.

Reply to Denninmi (Original post)

Mon Oct 15, 2012, 04:45 PM

Oct 2012

We will get cold weather in December, January and February. It will start to get cold in November and that is the ideal time to start my lettuce, herbs and spinach. It will be too hot for them maybe in July or August. I plant or repot tomatoes and squash and hot weather veggies (and herbs like mint) in time to be mature in the summer months.

Many years, we do not see freezing weather. So our "cold" may not seem that cold in other parts of the US.

Our problem is the extreme heat on some summer days and the drought, the annual drought and the ongoing drought in recent years.

We got maybe 3/4 of an inch rain recently and it was cause for celebration.

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