Has anyone else noticed that it's hot --- and dry? At least, according to this morning's weather map, the orange that indicates heat advisories has dropped below the Missouri state line, but --- you can also see excessive heat moving in on us again. Today's predicted high for Chariton is 94, which beats 100.
Kay and Robin still are doing a little planting on the museum grounds --- we're going to get together early this morning to add a few transplants to the new herb garden, which means I've got to get out to my garden in a few minutes and blast some chives, marjoram and mint loose.
We're watering there, but since the plantings are condensed that doesn't require an excessive amount. I'm still watering here (with a can --- so far), but only planters, a couple of small areas in beds and sometimes, parts of the small garden, where tomato and pepper plants (as well as herbs) are looking ok --- but the heat will most likely minimize harvest. All the unwatered borders look really bad.
On a positive note, if there is one --- the mosquito population is way down and drought has slowed the progress of tomato blight, too. But lawns for the most part have gone dormant and only weeds are flourishing.
Crops are in bad shape which means, in the long run, grain and livestock producers will be in bad shape --- as will be everyone's bank accounts as food prices increase.
With thousands of acres of state forest, Lucas County is one of those rare places in Iowa that could have forest fires on a modest scale if drought accelerates. I wonder if fire departments think of such things.
Perhaps this all will even out and I'm sure rain will fall again --- but it's also interesting how little we hear about the elephant in the room, climate change, aka global warming.
Kay and Robin still are doing a little planting on the museum grounds --- we're going to get together early this morning to add a few transplants to the new herb garden, which means I've got to get out to my garden in a few minutes and blast some chives, marjoram and mint loose.
We're watering there, but since the plantings are condensed that doesn't require an excessive amount. I'm still watering here (with a can --- so far), but only planters, a couple of small areas in beds and sometimes, parts of the small garden, where tomato and pepper plants (as well as herbs) are looking ok --- but the heat will most likely minimize harvest. All the unwatered borders look really bad.
On a positive note, if there is one --- the mosquito population is way down and drought has slowed the progress of tomato blight, too. But lawns for the most part have gone dormant and only weeds are flourishing.
Crops are in bad shape which means, in the long run, grain and livestock producers will be in bad shape --- as will be everyone's bank accounts as food prices increase.
With thousands of acres of state forest, Lucas County is one of those rare places in Iowa that could have forest fires on a modest scale if drought accelerates. I wonder if fire departments think of such things.
Perhaps this all will even out and I'm sure rain will fall again --- but it's also interesting how little we hear about the elephant in the room, climate change, aka global warming.
2 comments:
Frank,
I have quit listening to the forecast from the weather folks as just going outside in western Iowa it is obvious that it is darn warm and very dry. One other positive thought that came up in conversation out at our county fair yesterday was we no longer need to mow. Keep your cool, friend.
norm
Came home to sign up a contractor to put in the much needed "dry" pond in the NW corner of my timber. But, learned that the soil is now too dry, and project most likely will have to wait until fall (expecting that it WILL rain by then). Sigh.
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