Official forecast:
"The Heat Index today will climb throughout our afternoon hours past 100° and it will be even hotter tomorrow if you can believe it. Please restrict outdoor activities if possible, drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen as well as re-apply as necessary. This weekend will be brutal."
Luckily the deer and groundhogs haven't discovered it yet -
so mum's the word - keep it under you hat - loose lips sink salads, etc....
Zone 9 on the mid Texas coast. Was going to do a small garden with tomatoes, peppers and sweet potatoes. Wife wanted to go bigger some we did some other things. The weather went from cool to hot and dry really quick. Should have stayed with Celebrity tomatoes but wife went with other types which have not done so well. Does not help that I did not feel like putting up shade cloth. Okra got eaten by some bugs early and have not tried to replant but still can. Have a 2 year plus old Jalapeno that is still producing very well. One thing I have noticed is that older Jalapenos (with hot weather) produce smaller fruit. Ordered pepper plants from Burpee, some have not done well, but what I thought would be an Ancho type is smaller than Ancho but is producing what would be very large type Jalapeno with very mild flavor like crazy even with the heat. Those peppers have been a good addition to many dishes. Finally I tried growing Tobacco again. Tried it in Central Texas years ago a time or two and it died just after seedling stage. Ordered 3 types of seed. The Jasmine flowering type died at seedling, the Tennessee Redleaf and Dominican Oro are going gangbusters. I smoke but don’t have any real hope of curing it just wanted to grow tobacco for the historical context. Waiting for it to maybe flower.
However, some volunteer plants are growing on the edges, while a landlord of a neighbor let me plant a garden in the small area behind a 3-decker, which the tenants can pick first from. The 25 tomato plants (started from seed in early April, planted mid May) are growing pretty good, though some show some sort of wilt, Plus some potatoes ar growing (never grew before, but growing well) and some squash but the Butternut Squash (which got a late start) is not doing so good.
And with the certified drought (by comparison, last July only saw 6 days when it did not rain, this year it is more like only 6 days of any rain, with only one storm of maybe 1/2'' or less. Thus it is good that I gave my main garden a sabbatical, while it is unlikely I would be growing much in the other spot if i had not filled most every water jug (2,5 to 5 gal) and bucket up (about 25) with rainwater collected from my tarp to barrel system last year, thank God! In this heat and pant size it takes about 8 gals at least twice a week to supply the approx. 40 plants. But I am almost out on water. If no substantial rain this week comes then water on the landlords water bill would have to be used, which I want to avoid. In this "low-income" densely populated city rent for a 3 decker with no parking is usually over 2k a month, and the LL water bill for such is about $400 or more a month. So I must pray for much rain, and to catch as much as i can. I also save water from air conditioners.
No new pics since I presently have no camera. But here is an older one of the tarp and barrels water collector. I place netting on top, plus spray a little Pam which works well against mosquitoes breeding.
">
Diana’s Small Batch V-8 Juice Recipe
4 cups chopped tomatoes, seeded, skins on
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 long or 3 short celery ribs, chopped with leaves
1 carrot, peeled & grated
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. white Sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. prepared Horseradish
1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Beef Bullion Cube
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Cups water
Put everything in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20-30 minutes until tender. Cool.
SAFETY FIRST: It’s important to cool it COMPLETELY if you’re going to use a regular blender; you’ll blow the top off if it’s hot and you’ll be hating life!
With your immersion blender (or in SMALL amounts in a regular blender), blend it all together. Strain through a wire-mesh strainer, pressing all of the juices out. This will make you a 1 quart Mason jar of juice.
Adjust seasonings as you see fit; add hot sauce if you want. I do! Cover and chill and enjoy plain or in a Bloody Mary.
If you want to make a bigger batch, just increase all ingredients incrementally. (Double it, triple it, quadruple it.)
Hot Water Bath canning or freezing works just fine.