DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

DesertChris · Apr 15, 2013

highalt said:
I feel your pain on the tumbleweeds! Never saw one before, except in movies, until I moved here, and had no idea those things were covered in thorns!!!

Exactly!!!!

Stupid tumbleweeds.....

And the worst part is the ones here are actually Russian Thistle....NOT NATIVE!!
Somebody somehow brought them here......and they are the scourge of the entire area!

highalt · Apr 16, 2013

Yeah, that and the stupid Russian olive! Whoever set those things loose, needs to be slapped.

Oh, and you can have your wind back. It's been 45 mph for the past 3 hours, and it is getting on my nerves!!!

Devv · Apr 16, 2013

highalt said:
Oh, and you can have your wind back. It's been 45 mph for the past 3 hours, and it is getting on my nerves!!!

Do you get these winds after it warms up?....I hope not.

highalt · Apr 16, 2013

In the summer, when that rare rain cloud passes by, there will be some strong winds. Most of the precipitation evaporates before it ever hits the ground though. That's why the fire danger is so high around here. The good news is that the winds are more sporadic in the summer months. As Chris mentioned before, it's the constant winds that will drive you crazy!

DesertChris · Apr 16, 2013

highalt said:
In the summer, when that rare rain cloud passes by, there will be some strong winds. Most of the precipitation evaporates before it ever hits the ground though. That's why the fire danger is so high around here. The good news is that the winds are more sporadic in the summer months. As Chris mentioned before, it's the constant winds that will drive you crazy!

And the wind is absolutely driving me crazy right now!! We are under yet another wind advisory warning....again....

And last night it got within a couple degrees of freezing temp. A few of the peppers were all wilty this morning...

I gave those ones a drink of warm water, and they perked back up

Then this afternoon, I had the pleasure of moving all the peppers and tomatoes into the garden shed (with a heat source), and the dining room.....
What a pain....

It is supposed to get too close to freezing tonight and tomorrow night, then back to 80 degree days and around 50 at night.
So I figure they can just stay inside until thursday morning, then back into the survival of the fittest mode outside

highalt said:
Yeah, that and the stupid Russian olive! Whoever set those things loose, needs to be slapped.

Oh, and you can have your wind back. It's been 45 mph for the past 3 hours, and it is getting on my nerves!!!

LOL, whoever set the tumbleweeds loose would get lynched here...if they could be identified

Those things are seriously a pain in the rear....and also the hands.... pokey little buggers

Devv said:
Do you get these winds after it warms up?....I hope not.

Yep....then it becomes a hot wind.....better than a cold wind though

Oh, and in the summer we get the occassional wind from the south accompanied by tons of humidity.
Last year it got up to 120 degrees and as humid as it can get...people thought they were going to die.
Most people have only swamp coolers here (which don't work in humid weather)....we are lucky to have AC and a swamp cooler, because when it gets humid the AC is the only thing that helps!!

DocNrock · Apr 17, 2013

I'll say it again, that is an insane number of plants!!! This will be one monumental and epic grow. I have a hard time keeping up with about 150, then I think you have almost 10X the number I have. This is nearly 10x the number of hours to care for them. Yikes! 10x the pods...double yikes!

WalkGood · Apr 17, 2013

DesertChris said:
And the wind is absolutely driving me crazy right now!! We are under yet another wind advisory warning....again....

I feel for ya, we’re heading into hurricane season now, lol. I remember during hurricane Wilma, I just laid all my pots down and all but a few branches survived. I really don’t have any other place to put them all, although one did fit in the garage. Hope we go without this year. Long before her was Andrew and that was a killer storm here, I lucked out in that the south fence held up and all the plants got shifted to the fence during the storm. Was mind blowing experience to say the least going out in that one :0

DocNrock said:
… Yikes! 10x the pods...double yikes!

If you get an emergency call Doc, don’t be surprised to hear “death by pod,” lols.

Edit: BTW when I post a picture of my palm tree in my glog (eventually) you'll understand whey I call her Wilma, lolz

DesertChris · Apr 17, 2013

Ok, the wind blew everything away....

Just kidding....frost advisory for the next couple nights,.but at least the wind stopped!! So calm out there right now.
All the plants are safe inside

Most of them are in here with a heat source

Here is a bonus photo of the Jalapeno Overwinter Bonchi Project

DocNrock said:
I'll say it again, that is an insane number of plants!!! This will be one monumental and epic grow. I have a hard time keeping up with about 150, then I think you have almost 10X the number I have. This is nearly 10x the number of hours to care for them. Yikes! 10x the pods...double yikes!

It's not too bad, once they are in the ground, it'll be just a matter of turning on the water supply once or twice a day.
Right now most of the pepper time is spent looking at them...lol
And when they are outside, I use a gentle flow on a hose attachment to water them. Doesn't take very long that way

Harvest time will likely be insane though. But the neighbor kids love picking peppers

So those 3 kids will help big time, and have fun doing it.
Now what to do with all the pods remains to be seen....Most likely dry the vast majority of them.

WalkGood said:
I feel for ya, we’re heading into hurricane season now, lol. I remember during hurricane Wilma, I just laid all my pots down and all but a few branches survived. I really don’t have any other place to put them all, although one did fit in the garage. Hope we go without this year. Long before her was Andrew and that was a killer storm here, I lucked out in that the south fence held up and all the plants got shifted to the fence during the storm. Was mind blowing experience to say the least going out in that one :0

If you get an emergency call Doc, don’t be surprised to hear “death by pod,” lols.

Edit: BTW when I post a picture of my palm tree in my glog (eventually) you'll understand whey I call her Wilma, lolz

We really would like to move down to the South, in your region, but dang hurricanes might be the one thing that prevents us from doing,that.
We have discussed Georgia quite a bit. But keeping our minds open.
We also thought maybe get an RV, pack it full, tow a car....Sell off all stuff we don't need, and hit the road....
Then when we come across the place we really want to live, stay there...sell RV, and enjoy life wherever it is

WalkGood · Apr 17, 2013

DesertChris said:
Ok, the wind blew everything away....

- lol, sad to read about the cold front but seems you have everything under control.
- Love the look on that bonchi Jalapeño

that’s one thick stalk … heck my 2 year old one isn’t that thick.

DesertChris said:
… Right now most of the pepper time is spent looking at them...lol …

Don’t stare too long, you’ll become part of the collective, lolz or worse, you’ll go pepper crazy like me

DesertChris said:
… Harvest time will likely be insane though. But the neighbor kids love picking peppers So those 3 kids will help big time, and have fun doing it.
Now what to do with all the pods remains to be seen....Most likely dry the vast majority of them. …

Harvesting is always fun and it’s great you’ll have helpers. Besides drying, freezing some, I’d consider making powder and sauces. I love salt infused with pepper powder, can't ever have too much powder stored for future projects, yard bird rubs, etc. ...

DesertChris said:
We really would like to move down to the South, in your region, but dang hurricanes might be the one thing that prevents us from doing,that. …

Don’t let da Kanes scare you away from South FL, I’ve been through 15 killer storms over my life span, seems that I’m in the right place at the right time, lol. I remember flying into Jamaica during a hurricane, I kept waiting for the pilot to say we’ll be circling and waiting out the storm from above but no, he plunged right in so fast that no one had a chance to be scared. It really didn’t bother me till I saw we were approaching the runway sideways, it was crazy but nothing a few stiff rummies didn’t cure. If you decide further down than GA let me know, we have considered moving a little towards northern FL, the only thing that’s kept me back is you loose the tropical belt which means no coconuts, orchids or tropical plants

Keep da awesome updates coming!

Devv · Apr 17, 2013

WalkGood said:
- lol, sad to read about the cold front but seems you have everything under control.
- Love the look on that bonchi Jalapeño that’s one thick stalk … heck my 2 year old one isn’t that thick.

Don’t stare too long, you’ll become part of the collective, lolz or worse, you’ll go pepper crazy like me

Harvesting is always fun and it’s great you’ll have helpers. Besides drying, freezing some, I’d consider making powder and sauces. I love salt infused with pepper powder, can't ever have too much powder stored for future projects, yard bird rubs, etc. ...

Don’t let da Kanes scare you away from South FL, I’ve been through 15 killer storms over my life span, seems that I’m in the right place at the right time, lol. I remember flying into Jamaica during a hurricane, I kept waiting for the pilot to say we’ll be circling and waiting out the storm from above but no, he plunged right in so fast that no one had a chance to be scared. It really didn’t bother me till I saw we were approaching the runway sideways, it was crazy but nothing a few stiff rummies didn’t cure. If you decide further down than GA let me know, we have considered moving a little towards northern FL, the only thing that’s kept me back is you loose the tropical belt which means no coconuts, orchids or tropical plants

Keep da awesome updates coming!

That flying experience reminds me when LB and I flew to LI for my sisters wedding, freaky unnatural weather for NY, 100mph gusts. The wife had my hand white with all the squeezing, I'm looking out the window and see way too much ground, then none, way too much ground, etc. He just boom! dropped it just right between rolls, now that was some crazy sh!t.

DesertChris · Apr 17, 2013

OK, so clearing more dang tumbleweeds today, and a

2 "dirt devils" came flyimg through, and became "tumbleweed tornadoes"...lol...
Cleared a good hundred and fifty tumbleweeds off the fenceline and dropped them off a couple houses over...

WalkGood said:
- lol, sad to read about the cold front but seems you have everything under control.
- Love the look on that bonchi Jalapeño that’s one thick stalk … heck my 2 year old one isn’t that thick.

Don’t stare too long, you’ll become part of the collective, lolz or worse, you’ll go pepper crazy like me

Harvesting is always fun and it’s great you’ll have helpers. Besides drying, freezing some, I’d consider making powder and sauces. I love salt infused with pepper powder, can't ever have too much powder stored for future projects, yard bird rubs, etc. ...

Don’t let da Kanes scare you away from South FL, I’ve been through 15 killer storms over my life span, seems that I’m in the right place at the right time, lol. I remember flying into Jamaica during a hurricane, I kept waiting for the pilot to say we’ll be circling and waiting out the storm from above but no, he plunged right in so fast that no one had a chance to be scared. It really didn’t bother me till I saw we were approaching the runway sideways, it was crazy but nothing a few stiff rummies didn’t cure. If you decide further down than GA let me know, we have considered moving a little towards northern FL, the only thing that’s kept me back is you loose the tropical belt which means no coconuts, orchids or tropical plants

Keep da awesome updates coming!

That jalapeno lived in a small cup in the window sill for 2 years...lol...kept dying, and coming back to life.
The daughter brought it home from the garden show....
I finally took mercy on it and planted it last year, and it produced nicely. I am hopimg it makes a good Bonchi, and will be pampered indoors

I really would like to live down there where you do.
Tropical weather would be soooo nice after living here in the desert!!
I am just not sure I can get my gal to move into hurricane alley...lol....we'll see

WalkGood · Apr 17, 2013

What hurricanes

Well there's no tumbleweeds down here for sure, sounds like a selling point, hehehe

DesertChris · Apr 17, 2013

WalkGood said:
What hurricanes Well there's no tumbleweeds down here for sure, sounds like a selling point, hehehe

I just told her all your selling points

She said "Ooooo, that sounds nice"

The seed has been planted, now I just have to let the idea grow

stc3248 · Apr 17, 2013

DesertChris said:
The seed has been planted, now I just have to let the idea grow

Put her under some lights, bottom water her and feed her some MG!!! You'll be in FL in no time...might be alone, but hey...

DesertChris · Apr 17, 2013

stc3248 said:
Put her under some lights, bottom water her and feed her some MG!!! You'll be in FL in no time...might be alone, but hey...

HAHAHAHHAhahahahaha!!!

Well, we do plan on relocating

The twins are 10th graders, so in a little over 2 years, they go off into the big wide world, and we can move

We have been seriously considering Georgia, and Florida is right below it!!

The main criteria is nicer weather (warmer winters and cooler summers), and I would bet it never gets to freezing temps down there.
Here it got to 7 degrees one night this winter, and summer it can get to 120....Plus the dry air makes your skin super dry.
I can't wait to live where there is SOME humidity!

DesertChris · Apr 18, 2013

stc3248 said:
Put her under some lights, bottom water her and feed her some MG!!! You'll be in FL in no time...might be alone, but hey...

OK Shane.....I told her your "great" idea...lol

Her exact words were... "Oh Goody....Got to the bathroom, light some candles. Run me a nice bath. Then go make me a warm brownie with ice cream and chocolate syrup, and feed it to me while I enjoy the bath."

Geez......She is far too witty.....lol

WalkGood · Apr 18, 2013

DesertChris said:
… Geez......She is far too witty.....lol

Thats a good thing, I doubt you would prefer it any other way ...

Devv · Apr 18, 2013

I love the tumbleweed flight! Way cool!

We get those dust devils here too, I few years ago I was burning mesquite stumps and used an old cabinet from the kitchen that had a metal lazy susan in it. It was about 30"s across, I was in the garden working, saw the lootle twister start right at the fire. It came right to me and gave me a bump, shoved me pretty good, a second later the chunk of lazy susan dropped to the ground right next to me! I was 80 yds from the fire..

+1 on 377!

highalt · Apr 18, 2013

Okay, I've never seen that before! We get the dirt tornadoes, and we got plenty of tumbleweeds, but I can't say I've ever seen a tumbleweed tornado!!! Pretty cool in a scary sort of way.

I actually like the lack of humidity. My hair isn't as frizzy here. :lol:

I can step outside after taking a shower and my hair will be dry in about 2 minutes. In the south, you walk outside after taking a shower, and your clothes were soaking wet with sweat about 2 minutes later.

Just sayin'.

capehog · Apr 18, 2013

Remember the dirt devils on my uncles cotton farm. Hope you get to plant out soon.