Smartie's Bar & Grill #74

Maybe not a good soaking rain may revive them.

 

They've been watered, but nothing helps like a good rain. 103 at 7 pm. Not a cloud in the sky.

 

Most plants have defense mechanisms. They will go dormant, drop leaves and flowers, and let their stems wilt, in order to preserve moisture.

Extended long term drought will kill many plants, above the ground. If you water, do it consistantly, first watering for maybe 5 minutes, soak the ground until it runs off. Come back in an hour or two, and do it again. Best done in the morning before 10am. Then give it a good long drink every day for a good week, then ease off to every other day.

 

High of 90 and a chance of rain Monday.

 

We were not getting rain for awhile and I was afraid I wasn't going to get the wild grapes down by the woods. .The wild grapes make great jelly.

 

I test trees and such by bending the bare stem. If it is dry and brittle then snaps, it is probably dead. But if it bends but doesn't snap it still has life and probably dormant. You can feel the difference.

 

Yippee!

How's the fam? And You?

 

I'm back to work as of right now. I'm sitting outside a job site in Las Colinas. Mrs Texan is weak and tired, but she tested negative and is on the mend.

 

Today was brutally hot (not many of us have air conditioning). Tomorrow is forcasted to be worse. We might set a record. The forcast is also calling for 3 minutes and 8 seconds less daylight.

 

I don't know how far you 'bend' the 'bare stem' (branch?) but I hope you are talking about a very small branch. To bend the actual tree to a point it would snap, you are doing some serious damage to it, if it is alive.

 

Good morning fans of Sunday. Ac is blowing hard and coffee is ready. Gonna be a good day.

(Hmmm appears I typed this didn't hit post. Duh.)

 

Good idea..

 

Sometimes you can just feel the branch and it has a certain feel if is dead it has dry feel.

 

I have heard of people making solar stoves out of weird stuff.

 

Yep, and baking cookies on dashboards. Saw a pic of an iron gate earlier... with 2 potholders tied to It!

 

The internet was advertising pest thingys to get rid of pests. I bought some to get rid of the squirrels was a bit skeptical but what the heck. I plugged one in on the porch where the birds are fed and they work..no squirrels and no birds either. Got to get another game plan, the birds have to stay the squirrels can go. I am going to move the bird feeders.

Hey Collateral Damage, it might even work on groundhogs.

 

Texas is anything but ridiculous unless you are in Austin. Ya'll sure Austin is in Texas?

 

That is good news, so glad your family is out of the Chinese viral woods. Good news indeed.

 

A small branch. And if it is alive the damage will heal. It ain't rocket science.

 

How is your plant search working out, found any to buy yet?

 

I bought two "Sundance" Mexican orange plants last week(?). I don't have the exact locations pinned down yet. I'm just within a foot, so far.



I got this "Diamong Heights" ceanothus, Friday. Planted it Friday.



Right now, I'm working on a design for a miniature Japanese garden nook.

 

Something like this:

 

When we planted pine trees here in the south we planted all winter unless it got under 28 degrees. The we waited till it warmed up and went at it again. 15, 000 trees a day sometimes. I think cool wet weather is better than hot and dry weather. But you also want them in some good dirt. Dig a hole twice as big and deep.as rootball. Mix with garden soil or compost 50/50 and plant in slight depression to hold water. Add water till you know it has had enough. Then water more. Water the next day to make sure all the dirt settles.