Drought and the garden

[where I want to]

This year the weather was unusually mild in March, so my garden got started early. However due to the uncertain water situation, when the last of the first planting was harvested, I did not plant more. I have had only fruit from my garden since July. My goal has been to water the perennials like the strawberries, brambles, fruit trees and treasured ornamentals so they are not overstressed and get diseased.

I'm lucky in that I can get to a store and buy what I want. But it has made me aware that I have treated my garden more as a convenience to have better food than a neccessity to survive. A rethink of the nature of my garden is called for- just in case this year's weather repeats. If my garden is commonly productive in March through June, and again for a period of maybe October and November, I think I need a green house to get enough "season" in the fall to grow things like cabbage and bok choy. Also, overwintering stored things like potatoes, garlic and multiplier onions becomes more iffy when you have to harvest by July.

For the moment though, I think that some water is coming our way- I kept getting pelted by flying termites yesterday and they are pretty good at knowing when some rain is coming.

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by where I want to

... kept getting pelted by flying termites

That does not sound good.

[where I want to]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

That does not sound good.

They don't fly all that well, sort of flutter about and bang into you. But yesterday none were in the air so now I wonder if there will be rain after all. It's pretty bad when I'm thrilled at dozens of flying termites hitting me because it might mean rain.

[Miss Kay]

Do those things fly into your house and start gnawing away?

[where I want to]

Originally Posted by Miss Kay

Do those things fly into your house and start gnawing away?

Not usually- they seem to be a kind of wet wood termite that is all over here all the time. I have never hear of them causing a problem in houses.
But they do give new people the willies to see them in clouds around their houses.
Years ago someone told me that seeing them is a sign of rain in a few days and I have always found that to be true. A couple here and there means a little rain- clouds of them mean a lot of rain.
The flying termite count seems to have said brief amount of rain. I can only hope. The morning local news had an account of a part of one of the largest local rivers being dry in a place never recorded as dry before. Spooky. This is a very large river. Another town recorded some salt water from the ocean in their drinking water due to low river levels.

[mnn2501]

Drip irrigation is how I have gone the later couple years here in drought stricken Texas.
It really is easy to set up.