My plants started dying. Palm trees, flowering things I don't know the names of, broom-something plants--all dead. I blamed it on the heat. Dang hot weather.
Finally this morning I saw my citrus trees seriously shriveling up and their leaves curling and drooping. I went out and turned the drippers on manually and--almost nothing. A very weak stream...at best. Some didn't have so much as a drop dripping.
"Rick!" I screamed. "Something is wrong with the drippers."
An hour and a half later, after running back and forth from front yard to back, from dripper box to plants, Rick and I investigated the tragedy. I have no idea for how long, but for way too long our plants haven't been getting any water. Therefore, they have died.
It took me a while, but I finally realized it. Rick hit on a solenoid valve until finally there was a psssh sound and water began spurting from the drippers. Finally, we had aqua. I watered everything with the hose and let the drippers run their cycle. Then I pulled up a few of the dead vegetation.
Red-faced from exertion in extreme heat, I jumped in the pool and let the water wash over my sweaty self. My poor plants have been out here dying, gasping, and crying out to me and I didn't listen. I'm a bad plant parent. I am so sorry. Really, I am. But it's too late for some of 'em. They're dead and gone. So sad!
17 comments:
Oh poor plants, but you didn't know.
Hopefully with a really good soaking for a week or so they will revive.
P.S. A Jump in your pool sounds great right now!
Dammit, I hate it when that happens!And it's more than just the cost of the plant and the time it takes to plant it. I always feel like I've snuffed out a life, killed a living thing :(
We sure did miss you last night. You would have had a great time. What if we meet in Vegas, is that halfway?
I am a bad plant parent too, and I am in Philadelphia which I'm sure is NOTHING compared to Arizona!! I do have one cactus though that needs water about every six weeks. So far so good with that!
It sounds so weird that we are in the same state and my plants drowned from all the rain up here in Lakeside, AZ I drilled holes in one to the pots to drain out the water I should have done the other one but it looked OK wrong. I think when I get up here next summer I will put plastic ones in the pots. :)
I'm not surprised plants are dieing down here. We had to hose down a couple of ours that were looking wilty. Luckily everything else seems to have weathered the heat well. The cactus are thriving.
I kill house plants. I don't water them until they turn brown and I can hear them screaming. God made plastic plants for people like me.
Poor baby plants.
Hopefully they'll surprised you and flourish!
You really should have taken some pictures of those poor little things.
Can't believe you are still so hot there! Mercy! We had a week of above 90 and I was thrilled.
We'll start cooling off next week according to the weatherman. Dang!
Good morning Jo.....In AZ during the summer I am always amazed that anything lives. I have lived in this state most of my life...and every year I lose things and have to replant something. Just enjoy that pool of yours and try to stay cool and calm
Hugs,
the other Jo
I have a zucchini plant in a planter on the deck and it looks extremely pitiful. I can't seem to water it enough.
I envy you that ability to jump in the pool to cool off. I wish I could do that after a day of yard work.
First - LOVE the pic at the top of your blog now - LOVE
And I don't even have the heat to blame my dead plants on. I just suck at trying keep something living that sits in a pot or on the ground. In your defense - you didn't know about the drippers...
That's no good. That sounds like something I would do. Hence, why we only have a few plants. Plants are pretty resilient though, it's amazing how they can come back. Hopefully the will survive... for your sake. Good luck with the heat wave, that does not sound like fun at all.
I love your new heading picture, except you need to be in there. Rachel looks more and more like you as she gets older. She is a funny girl with her family picture around the dead deer she shot with a bow. How is she your daughter? :)
Thanks for always commenting on my posts. I always know that at least you still read my blog. Watch for pictures of our new little guy at the end of this next week. Hugs!!!
Oh gosh...that is so sad :( And citrus trees are the best! My grandparents used to live in Mesa and the first smell that would hit me when we got out of the car was the citrus tree. LOVE that memory so much. I truly hope your survived!! :(
Oh, I know how you feel! I live in TN, a FAR cry from the climate you've got in AZ, but hot and dry this summer, nonetheless! I've been watering my plants every morning, and some of them still haven't survived! I'm REALLY looking forward to Fall temps!! RIP plants!
Even with my drippers dripping my plants look bad. It is a stressful time to be green in Phoenix.
Seriously, I have the worst black thumb I've ever heard of. I cannot keep a plant alive. At all. Sorry yours suffered the heat! But I love your solution of jumping in the pool. :-)
Are you flipping kidding me? That's awful! My bushes all seem to be doing ok but I've decided to let the flowers give up their ghosts. Crunchy.
well dang. it's not like you didn't try though!
Oh dear, I am sorry to hear about your plant catastrophe from all that heat and lack of water. Perhaps some plants will come back.
My post today is a poem about rain washing plants clean. We are all thinking about water these days, too much and too little and the perfect amount.
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