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mangledmind

Time to MULCH

mangledmind
13 years ago

It's gonna get HOT folks.

Time to MULCH, MULCH, MULCH.

Plus we have a 3 day weekend to get it all done, between fishing of course ;)

Comments (14)

  • zernike
    13 years ago

    Too funny. I JUST walked inside after putting down a bag of mulch under my Clementine orange tree. Came here to see if this was the right time, and here is your message! Thank you. :)

  • antm0
    13 years ago

    I'll second that, debating giving everything a little more food before they go "summer dormant"

  • wabikeguy
    13 years ago

    So how is everybody's plants and trees doing now that the heat has hit us? It's 114 here in Havasu today....third day in a row of temps over 110.

    Did everybody get their mulch down???? Do you all water every day in this heat???

  • hotdrysunny
    13 years ago

    I've been trying NOT to water every day just because I don't want to drown them! however, I have been misting things in the morning to give them a little break. I don't have veggies or non-desert-adapted plants, however, so I can't speak for people growing that stuff.

    As for the mulch, the chipmunks seem to really enjoy digging holes in it so they can cool their bellies on the damp soil underneath. I'm glad I can be of some service besides providing them with thousands of dollars worth of new plants to nibble on. . . :-(

  • mangledmind
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Our tomatoes look HORRIBLE, except our cherry and yellow pear. The beans have all but given up the ghost. All our cukes except one slicer have dried up crunchy. Had about a half dozen okra just go south, not sure why, thinking maybe it's the soil as it was a experimental bed. 5 of our Bonnie bell pepper transplants just couldn't take it anymore, so out they went.

    But, it's time to plant your 3 sisters, YAAAAAAAAAAA :)

    Oh, and the melons, honeydew and the new tomato and bell pepper transplants going in look AWESOME. So do our strawberries and blackberries :)

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    13 years ago

    3 sisters?

  • rtl850nomore
    13 years ago

    Corn, some of those pole bean seeds you have, and squash. The beans provide the nitrogen for the corn and the squash cools the roots. The corn provides the stalk for the pole beans to climb. These three sisters get along really well.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    13 years ago

    Awwww, what a cool idea.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    13 years ago

    What kind of corn does well here? Bean and squash seeds I have already, I can get some corn at Summer Winds.

  • lazy_gardens
    13 years ago

    "Do you all water every day in this heat???" Only the veggies, which need constant moisture.

    Everything is mulched thickly, and has been since it was planted.

    The heat-loving or tolerant veggies are doing fine: okra, eggplant, chilis, summer squash, herbs, and Armenian Cucumber.

    The beans died in June and the tomatoes are barely producing.

    BUT I HAVE LETTUCE!

    Here is a link that might be useful: I have LETTUCE ... at 115!

  • mangledmind
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    lazygardens you are too funny, lettuce haha :)

  • mangledmind
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    marymcp,
    Plant sweet corn, with pole beans and winter squash. Silver Queen, Bi-Licious, Golden Beauty, Sunglow all should do well. Soak them overnight in cool water then plant with this layout:

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    13 years ago

    Nice link mm. I don't have a 10'x10' garden area available to plant and the planting tips say that is minimum. Someone once told me an old Indian trick was to plant in a circle. That way the pollination works well in a smaller space. I think I'll try it and will let y'all know.

  • mangledmind
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    marmcp, we don't have the 10x10 space either, so we are using one of the raised beds that are 3x6 and reduced the plantings to 1/5 + a square foot gardening technique which will tighten up the planting (like the trick you shared). It should yield similar results with a little help from us come pollination time :)

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