What is not dying now

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:27:19 PDT
Dear PBSers,
	This is usually titled "What's Blooming", but we are in a 
continuing heat wave and drought that is now extreme, an official 
agricultural disaster area and without an end in sight. We've had a 
record number of days over 90 and 100 degrees, but the nights rarely 
cool to below 80 and that seems to really set back plant growth.

	Without rain in weeks all of the Lilies have dried up in bud. 
A few early ones weeks ago barely opened and then got eaten by deer 
- apparently a source of moisture?

	Yesterdy we had 3 stem of Lycoris longituba emerging, in bud 
or in bloom.   Our very mild, dry winter has pushed most bloom 
schedule way ahead of time f=by 4 to 8 weeks. So although this is 
very early for Lycoris, without rain this is a pitiful low number of 
stalks. IN a good year there's a hundred or more. Last week we were 
down in El Dorado KS about 100 miles to the SW and saw a single stalk 
of L. squamigera. Also very early.

	None of the early Lycoris are blooming especially not L. sanguinea.

	We do get a few rain lilies blooming in well watered pots, 
but just a dotting of color, not full pots of bloom.

	A few well watered Crinum are enjoying the warm weather and 
water. 'Super Ellen' has put up 8 6 ft flower stalks and still going 
to town, while others are showing brown dry leaf tips.

	We added about a dozen new Crocosmia this spring due to the 
mild winter and had high hopes. Our oldest established 'Lucifer' 
jumped out of the ground and was covered in flowers until the deer 
ate almost all. Only 'George Davidson' even tried to bloom as the 
heat increased and all of them now have dry tan leaves and are going 
'dormant' and hopefully not dying.

	Except for a few cactus in bloom (and in need of daily 
watering), the garden is turning browner daily.

		Summer on the prairie, but not yet the dust bowl. 
		best	Jim
-- 
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph.    816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
	Summer 100F +



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