Oklahoma heat wave

polycarbonate installed is about 50% shade

That was a good plan, Steve.
The polycarbonate I have is clear...not a good choice I suspect even for winter.

The exhaust fans and circulation fans are so beneficial.
Can you just imagine the fungus growth if you didn't have air circulating? 😯

Take care...hear's hoping for a good dump of rain and a cloudy week coming up for you folks! 😀

Barb

The all-time heat record for Tulsa is 115 F in 1936. We already broke our all-time record high lows, both Monday, which only lasted until yesterday when that was broke. But would we get to 115, despite the higher dewpoints than during the dustbowl?

Not quite. The Tulsa airport stopped at 112 F when it started raining.

Here, we got very close: 114.9 this afternoon before the showers got down here:

Time Air Heat index Dewpoint
15:59 114.9 °F 120.4 °F 63.9 °F 29.63in Calm 1.0mph 20% 0.00in
16:04 114.9 °F 120.4 °F 63.9 °F 29.63in Calm 1.0mph 20% 0.00in
16:09 114.8 °F 120.2 °F 63.8 °F 29.63in Calm 0.0mph 20% 0.00in
16:10 114.8 °F 121.4 °F 65.2 °F 29.63in Calm 0.0mph 21% 0.00in
(the dewpoint was going up and air temp down as the "cold front" came near).

--Erik, remembering fondly the weather 6 months ago, when we could sit outside

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dVDMzPxCqLUrxJTKgFb_Gw?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " height="383" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/February2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsit e">February 2011</a></td></tr></table>

OMG, Erik, can't even imagine what 115 F would be like. 😯 😯
So TS Don obviously missed you guys last week.

Strange...you had a brutal winter and now a brutal summer.

When rain hits hot parched ground, smells to me like burnt hair (knuckles singed on the BBQ).
Did your rain just evaporate?
or did you get enough to actually soak into the ground?

Love the photo 😆 😆 😆

For another cool down...Here's one for you from mid-Dec 2008:

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/3108740282/" title="DSC02051 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC02051"></a>

Take it easy!
Barb

Those 60F dewpoints look nice-not with those temps though.

We briefly saw 60F dewpoints the other day-unfortunately it
was accompanied by a 106F temperature.

Dewpoint 71 F right now, which is holding down the temps. The forecast was for a high of 112 F but there is no way that will happen.
I have the mister system going all day (but not at night) which I think helps the tropical plants. Hopefully evaporation off the pool in the middle of the tropical garden helps them as well. I didn't water plants this morning as we are on voluntary water restrictions. 😯

A whole lot of people are affected by the drought...12% of the U.S.
http://geology.com/news/2011/july-sets-exceptional-drought-record-for-the-united-states.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Geologycom+%28Geology.com%29

Looks like the rain moved south to Chile in July:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43982706/ns/weather/

Almost like what happened with our regular winter cold shifting south to Oklahoma?...

Barb

Sorry you didn't make it to 112F Erik,I know that would be a lot of fun! 😈

Who would've thought 103 F would seem mild?
I didn't water plants today -- with temps this cool, no need, right? 😆

Who would've thought 103 F would seem mild?
I didn't water plants today -- with temps this cool, no need, right? 😆

Yea....

and if you wait a few more days,you will never need to water them again! 😯

My new watering rule is to only water on days that we set an all-time record high.
For example, as I write this it is 112 F (44.5 C) outside at 2:30 pm. That breaks a daily record from 1964, but not the all-time record high so I get to stay inside. In the morning, we will set an all-time record high low set way back a couple of days ago, so I will water tomorrow. 😆

I think I've mentioned on another thread that I want to get more into Yucca and xerophillics and less into Colocassia, Musa and the like. Well, this recent heat is sure nudging me that way 😯

Palms, BTW, are generally doing just fine in the heat.

A sure way to get lots of rain is to invest in xeroscaping with cacti and yuccas.... 😉

Barb, we'll take the rain!
We have native Opuntia and Yucca hereabouts, so it really makes sense to go with them.
----------------------------------------

The news is that the surviving T. fortunei, and both Waggies, are pushing spears. With that discovery, I can report that ALL palms are growing in this heat.
Some just like it more than others, such as Bizzie (photo; forgive the horse in the background who was trying to figure out how to get into the house for the AC....)

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/USfJ8fU1e9YR52BX4iwuFA?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " height="531" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/August2011?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsit e">August 2011</a></td></tr></table>

Erik,

Glad that all your palms are doing well, watering must be all-consuming at 100+ day after day.
But at least there is water...

Agree with you about the rain...
why the H*** couldn't we all just have warm weather with ample rain (rhetorical Q).
It's so dry here the sprinkler water just runs OFF the slope, instead of going into the soil.
But, no, it seems we all have to be freezing our boots off for 6 months, or sweating our socks off in summer.

that Bizzie has done so well.
It's got that waxy "steel blue" look.
Always preferred the blue to the green ones.

Smart horse getting near the cool wall of the house ... and hoping for a cool draft from the window 😉

Are you ready to dump ice cubes into your swimming pool yet?
😆
Barb

Getting used to it now. I get up at dawn and do anything outdoors so it is finished by 9 am. I go out again to watch the sunset.
We had some rain last night, which was delightful and brought the dewpoints back up. I may not like the humidity, but it is good for the plants.

Palms, as I said above, are generally doing just fine and all are growing. The worst sun damage is to fronds of the bottle palms (photo 1).

Bananas don't like the heat (photo 2) despite lots of watering.

It is a mixed bag for the rest (photo 3). Canna and Hibiscus are happy; Musa basjoo grumble; Colocassia hate it. This is the BEST ee 😯

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-q3CyY2-9r7bf5DV0LyHUQ?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " height="800" width="531" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/August2011InTheGarden?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsit e">August 2011 in the garden</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XnzyZcf0ant3vKQdSzItJw?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " height="800" width="531" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/August2011InTheGarden?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsit e">August 2011 in the garden</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KXOw_cID8FR0kPiNCb1wmw?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " height="531" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/August2011InTheGarden?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsit e">August 2011 in the garden</a></td></tr></table>

Erik,
Your bottle looks better than mine; at least greener.
I think mine's still "hung over" from the toxic fertilizer application last winter.

I'm thinking of giving the Bottle some epsom salts.
Have you applied any?

Are your 3 bottles pot planted? or in the ground?

And those bananas have pups shooting up at their base that look unscathed. 😀

Canna should be flowering soon, hiding any damage.

Hang in there buddy, surely the heat can't last much longer.... 😕

Barb