Re: [gardeners] Dahlia woes
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 01 Sep 2002 13:12:51 -0500
Most years we don't need to water, nature does it for us. We are back to normal rainfall patterns
now after 3 years of drought. Normal means tremendous downpours at 1 inch per hour followed by
bright, hot, sunshine. This is what "burns up" our plants. For example: the spring/summer is gone
with the exception of a few hot chile plants. The sweet chiles have mostly wilted from the humidity
and heat. The okra loves this heat and humidity but just how much okra does two people need? We did
better during the drought because our plantings only got the water they needed not the excess we've
been getting now.
Many folks don't realize that SW Louisiana gets 65 to 100 inches of rain per year in a "normal"
year. Unlike the PNW it doesn't fall as a gentle drizzle each day, it deluges and then dries up,
deluges again and the cycle continues. We've been two days without rain now but the humidity is 96%
and the temperature is in the low nineties daily.
George
"Jeanne L." wrote:
>
> At 08:02 AM 8/29/02, you wrote:
> >The temperatures you describe are our normal summer weather only with
> >higher humidity. Most of our
> >annuals have turned brown at the bottom and middle by now with the stem
> >still green and the blooms
> >still on them. It's a natural thing here what with the heat.
>
> George,
>
> Is this so even if you've watered them? I would have thought with water
> they'd stay green....?
>
> Jeanne
>
> "Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the
> universe." Thomas Berry