How Hot Is It?

My pop culture age is showing again. The title of this blog is a phrase often used by one of the greatest talk show hosts of all time - Johnny Carson. In case you weren't on the planet between 1962 and 1992 when his show ran, click on the link to get a feel of his late night humor. How Hot Is It? Johnny used this expression often over the years with funny, witty responses. This is the only video I found online. You know what I'm talking about if you used to watch the original The Tonight Show.  

Right now as I'm writing - it's 103 degrees and perhaps a degree or two hotter at the airport where they keep the official record for temperatures in the Denver area. I heard on the news that we were warmer today at noon than they were in Phoenix or Vegas at the same time. Yikes!  

During the gardening season there's nothing we can do about the weather but remain hydrated when we're outside, cover up with sunscreen and a hat. I was in and outside very early this morning for about thirty minutes to putz and water the ornamental containers and the raised bed of seeded cover crop. I'm giving all five raised beds the summer off from warm season crops. It was time, they were needing a break and so was I. Three of the five are growing a red clover cover crop, the other two are happily breaking down a thick layer of composted leaves and grass so they'll be ready for the fall garlic planting. I'm still growing plenty of basil in Smart Pots® and a couple of tomatoes in the herb bed. I think my decision to take this summer off was a good one, it's been so hot and so dry already. Have I mentioned the heat? 

Stay on top of deeply watering your vegetables, new plantings and young trees. Mulch goes a long way to keep soils cool and moisture in. Our tomato plants are covered with a perforated shade cloth that reduces temperatures by five to eight degrees. Tomato blossoms easily drop or abort with temperatures over ninety, so fruit obviously can't or won't develop. With just two plants, we're hoping for enough tomatoes to have a few BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) sandwiches later in the summer.

Once temperatures cool back down tomatoes, pepper and eggplant will resume flowering and all will be well my friend. In the meantime, take a look at the next three month weather maps from NOAA - temperatures and precipitation. They have been spot on in their predictions this entire year. Looks like the heat will continue, hopefully not with many days in the hundreds.