Heatwave

[landimad]

I know this has been a bad year so far for one and all, but as you all are fully aware water is a premium wherever we are and which ever country we live in.
How can we save young plants when we cover and tend to them with all the care in the world?
I have had some plants from a kind source on here and others from people local.
They are watered and tended, yet they have shrivelled up with this heat.
I have kept them in the most shady part of the garden(under the oak tree)   
There are certain types of plants which tolerate the heat, but others like my Fuchsias which are not doing well at all.
The garden is in full sun from 0600 till gone 1900, so I have tried to get large plants in to shade others which need this.
Veggies are struggling too, I am sorry to say that all are struggling and no matter how much you tend them they are going to suffer in this heat.
When will it all come together for us growing for a good return of food and flowers to enjoy!
The young seedlings which went in some months back are wilting and looking sorry for themselves.
It looks as though I am going to have to change the way I garden in the future and think more about the way I can conserve water in the ground.
I have plenty of good open structure in the soil around the borders and deep beds, but they still have dried out in this heat.
All the promises from the met office of rain have passed us by, and there is only so much that the tap will give out.
I feel that all the hard effort put in this season has all been in vain.

[landimad]

[grannyjanny]

Sorry to hear that Landy but if we change our way of growing to accommodate the heat, well we all know what will happen next year don't we ::).
We just can't win.

[Obelixx]

I'm having to change the way I garden to cope with extreme winters.   They're already harder here in cenral Belgium than in most of the UK but the last two have been real killers.  Apart from all the shrubs, trees,roses, clematis and perennials I've lost to long deep freezes not a single vegetable has survived so no more winter cabbage, leeks or onions for me.

As for this summer, we're having a heatwave.  Apart from a short thunderstorm last night we've had no rain for weeks and temps up to 38C.  I'm concentrating on watering vegetables such as pumpkins so I get some veggies for winter eating.   I planted an assortment of brassicas and salads in May and the'yre doing OK apart from a few bolting lettuces.   My beans are doing nothing, despite having a trench full of compost.

On the other hand, bumper crops of rhubarb, redcurrants and blackcurrants and it looks as though the damsons and tayberries will be good this year but then most of my strawberies are frying to a crisp and the blueberries are unhappy.

Ornamentals are just having to take their chances except for some newly planted shrubs and hostas which I don't want to lose.  We have metered water which concentrates the watering brain and water companies are not allowed to have the percentage of leakage that is tolerated by government and customers in the UK so no hose pipe bans in view but if this continues I can see us being rationed and/or having a huge bill compared to normal years.

[landimad]

I have found that the strawberries have all came and went to soon for us. They have been small and not very good eaters(not sure which type) but they have produced a lot of runners. These have been removed in the hope that they will throw their production back into the fruit(to no avail).
Sweetcorn is struggling to get any height at the moment, and the cherry planted this year has had a lot of die back. So will try again with a new one next year, perhaps a sweet variety not the Morello type as was this years.
My Azalea seems to have recovered after the snow and late frosts. I hope it goes on for another ten years as it is in the ground now.
Runner beans have been a poor show so far with no sign of podding up just yet.

[Digeroo]

My runner beans are not setting well either though have been doing better since I started spraying them with water.  Climbing French Beans and Dwarf doing very well.  Peas seem to have dried up.  Strawberries where great to start with but the perpetual varieties are showing so signs of being perpetual.  Cabbages rather small heads.  Parsnips look rather spindley.  Courgettes going well.   Globe Artichokes going great guns.  Rainbow Chard wilting, beetroot not swelling.  Lettuce gone bitter.

[landimad]

Finally the rain fell yesterday, and a good downpour was had for about twenty minutes.
The cabbages have all been eaten by a late show of the cabbage white, carrots are excellent this year, strawberries have all gone over, sweetcorn is struggling to get going.
Spuds are still in the ground after a quick firkle to see how they are doing, toms are green and no sign of going red as yet. Gooseberries had six berries for the first year and again have been nibbled by the dreaded caterpillars. Cherry tree has to go back to LIDL as it has died, but the apple tree is doing great, a lot of top growth and no flowers for the first year in the ground.  ;D
Peas are coming back after I gave them a haircut, which just shows you can get more than one crop from a sowing. Broad beans have come and gone boy were they sweet.
Will be cutting the comfrey again after the second flowering to use as fertilizer under the Oak tree. First cut went under the honeysuckle and that has brought a large amount of growth to this.
Runners started poorly and have now put on a bit more growth, to which the dreaded black fly have latched onto and have reduced the crop of beans.
second sowing of lettuce has been coming on in their cells and will go out shortly.
Not doing much else yet as the time for the late sowings is not on my calendar.
I am what you might call a seasonal gardener, which means I do not do winter crops due to the work load over the winter time. I find that there is more than enough for the family to eat with the extra work and the farm shop always has what we need at any time of the week.
This will allow me to do other projects which I need to do, like building a cold house for my fuchsia's and help over winter other tender plants. I think this will be best sited on the north side of my house as the winds and bright sunshine will do more harm than good in any other part of the garden.
Wallflowers are now all up and need to grow a bit before putting into the ground to over winter and grow for the spring.
Soon be time to get into the hedgerows and have a good rummage for the blackberries and other fruits.

[Jeannine]

I think we have to be able to switch and grow differnt things. I know we don't always get the warning but such is gardening I think.

We have the heatwave here too, although thst is not so unusual for us .I think this heat is just going to stay around, like every other aspect of gardening, bugs and disease as well as wether is reacting to what we are feeding the earth generally.

Crops that are reliable in heat and cool are becoming more popular. some varieties of lettuce for eg. potatoes that will stand a drought and even squash and tomatoes that will tolerate cold.

I think we have to learn some new ways. Getting a list of dual purpose varieties is a good start.

Now.. what to do about me..I am a plant that can't stand the heat and I am struggling LOL

XX Jeannine

[bionear2]

Jeannine,

When heat stressed, gardeners should be placed in supporting hammocks, and watered regularly with cold beer!

[Mimi]

Heat wave.......what heat wave  ???  Up here in North Wales we havent had a day without rain for ages...  Im thinking of growing rice!

[antipodes]

We have had one short rain in a month...

Never seen it like this before, everywhere is brown and yellow. I still have some crops but everything that needs a little bit of cool and rain has karked it. Only the hot things like tomatoes, peppers etc are enjoying it.  Nothing salad like can be grown like this.

[Manouche]

At last a few odd days of light rain... but not enough..allotment in Portsmouth South of England

Failures:
Strawberry Crop....very poor...just a few usually they flourish.
Gooseberries.........ditto
Raspberries...........ditto
Courgettes............produced flowers all male......then one courgette......then died.
Cucumbers ...........died
Brocolli..................have been eaten by something
Cabbages...............          ditto

Success
French Beans.........loads..........still flowering and producing
Runner Beans........loads...........         ditto
Mange Tout...........loads..........          ditto
Onions..................really good crop
Garlic....................     ditto
Potatoes................really pleased with crop
Salads...................growing well
Herbs.....................hanging on in there
Apple tree ..............bought last year in Lidl..........six beautiful Apples
Cherry tree..............lots of leaf but no fruit.
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Not yet listed as failures
Tomatoes several varieties.......loads of green ones but none have yet ripened.

This is our third year and we are still learning as we go along, guess we've won some and lost some.

[lincsyokel2]

we are at:

Strawberry half a dozen, rubbish
Cucumbers not too bad actually
Brocolli and calabrese bolted as soon as the suggestion of a head appeared, far to hot for them.
primo F1 Cabbages - planted later coming on nicely
brussel sprout still hanging in there
French Beans pale yellow, small plants, disaster
Runner Beans tons
Onions overwintered  250 reds 250 whites, harvest about 460

Potatoes disaster, the last frost in may killed the top growth and just as it was coming back Early Leaf Blight killed it again. lost the lots, 160 seeds tates.
Tomatoes several varieties.......loads of green ones but none have yet ripened.
broad beans, good
peas, pea moth got them
beetroots really good
turnips good
Chard, masses
spinach good
leeks coming on well
pak choi jury still out

[jazzidoodle]

i'm with Mimi what drought my beans have grown webbed feet. Hardly had a dry day in months!

[Mimi]

Woo hooo we have had a dry day and even saw the sun(Ok it did rain for about 1/2 hr but what the hell that constitutes a dry day in Wales) Managed to get some weeding done  ;D  Man those weeds where big  :o

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been thinking I was planting too much garlic, but this year the crop is crap. I only just had five decent ones for the site show.

[GrannieAnnie]

This year:  specialized in squashes, beans, toms and assorted berries plus a few aubergines.
Since they grow right around our house I've been able to water as needed.
But that limited diet is what we've been eating ALL summer long-
saves my husband asking "what's for dinner?"  ;D

Critters attacked everything else. (except parsnips but who knows what's attacking them underground- probably
some borers which we specialize in also.)