Last year in the northeast usa it was 95 for many days in a row
I would go out and my tomatos were hot to the touch

watering 2 or 3 times a day cost me a lot of money and
still my yeild was very low

my second crop was about useless and because
it was so dry by the end of the summer all the bugs
found my zucinni and cucumber plants which were about
all I had left from the end of july. by september i snuck
one last lettus crop in but it went to seed very fast and
the harvest was small only when it was young

so this year since it is 70F in january I expect it will be
very hot again and I need to keep my water bills down

installing a catchment or cistern is not really an option
since i live in a development that has regulations
but my garden is a decent size

So what do you guys think?
I would like to have something I can store or freeze for the
winter to offset vegetable prices and something that will
grow in the heat I usualy freeze zucinni and green beans

also any ideas about mulch
or using netting for a sunblock would be of interest too

thanks

wrote in message ...
Last year in the northeast usa it was 95 for many days in a row
I would go out and my tomatos were hot to the touch

watering 2 or 3 times a day cost me a lot of money and
still my yeild was very low

my second crop was about useless and because
it was so dry by the end of the summer all the bugs
found my zucinni and cucumber plants which were about
all I had left from the end of july. by september i snuck
one last lettus crop in but it went to seed very fast and
the harvest was small only when it was young

so this year since it is 70F in january I expect it will be
very hot again and I need to keep my water bills down

installing a catchment or cistern is not really an option
since i live in a development that has regulations
but my garden is a decent size

So what do you guys think?
I would like to have something I can store or freeze for the
winter to offset vegetable prices and something that will
grow in the heat I usualy freeze zucinni and green beans

also any ideas about mulch
or using netting for a sunblock would be of interest too

thanks


Did you use any mulch at all? If not, that's a major problem. You said
watering cost you a lot. Water is cheap, so you must've been watering a LOT.

Who mows your lawn? If it's you, does your mower have a bagging attachment?
If it does, grass clippings make a great mulch. Add one or two inches of it
around the plants, but NEVER very close to small seedlings. There are other
options for mulching, but grass is obviously going to be the most
economical.

Use dark colored window screen for sunblock. It's far more durable and easy
to work with than any other material you'll find.

I have been raising my veggies in raised gardens first because the soil
here is hard packed clay and secondly I save significantly on watering.
Last summer was particularly dry and regular watering of the raised
garden beds added only about $2.00 per month to my bill. Right now I
have a winter garden of collards, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
planted in late Sept. I have already taken broccoli and collards and
will be harvesting cauliflower this week and cabbage in about two
weeks.
Jay
www.greatgardens,org


wrote:
Last year in the northeast usa it was 95 for many days in a row
I would go out and my tomatos were hot to the touch

watering 2 or 3 times a day cost me a lot of money and
still my yeild was very low

my second crop was about useless and because
it was so dry by the end of the summer all the bugs
found my zucinni and cucumber plants which were about
all I had left from the end of july. by september i snuck
one last lettus crop in but it went to seed very fast and
the harvest was small only when it was young

so this year since it is 70F in january I expect it will be
very hot again and I need to keep my water bills down

installing a catchment or cistern is not really an option
since i live in a development that has regulations
but my garden is a decent size

So what do you guys think?
I would like to have something I can store or freeze for the
winter to offset vegetable prices and something that will
grow in the heat I usualy freeze zucinni and green beans

also any ideas about mulch
or using netting for a sunblock would be of interest too

thanks