Hot semi-arid OD

[Zanzibar]

I’ve been putting together a greenhouse, of sorts, to run some outdoor plants. Right now it’s 107*. A couple of days ago it was 112*. The heat is on! I figured that I should make a thread to show some extreme heat outdoor growing.

The plants are not yet in the ground, and I have a few things going. The greenhouse - which is basically just a big shade structure, has yet to be turned on - so the plants simmer in the Summer heat.

an example of what high temps can do - basically in just a couple of days the one on the left got sucked up by the heat. Both of these are Emperor Haze IX f2 from @santero via Hupla (C5hz x Sannie’s Jack)… anyway

A Guyana bagseed on left, and another Emperor Haze on the right

Bandaid Haze 7 on left, and a seed that sprouted so I let it grow at right

Heat taking it’s toll on a Sawa Anise from @Hyp3 I grew this one before, and there’s two others going as well - Lemon Thai is strong in these

Here’s a bunch of Mulanje Gold, and back left is Lime1 x 707HB (aka Limeheads)

a bunch of Raspberry Haze f2s going to a friend’s house

and a male Lost Skunk (Exo Cheese x Ugorg Blues) from Silas

Thanks for looking

[RadioWaves]

I also am growing in the extreme heat. What do you think is your most heat resistant strain?

[Zanzibar]

Hi @RadioWaves
The Raspberry Haze do really well in the heat. There are some others, and what I’ve been watching over the years is what environments can I create, what situations can I create for them to do better. How I water them has a huge impact… it’s easy to over water in the extreme heat = they look tired and wilty so give them water, and then the next thing they’re drowned and dead.
(top of a Purple Zamal x NepJam)

closeup of the Emperor Haze

(this one from a few years ago - I forget what it was)

But is getting knocked out by the heat strain specific???
One thing that I’m learning, and this thread is experimenting with, is when do I start them?
I will often start seeds toward the end of April. And every year, June and July roll around and those plants just get blasted.
This year I’m starting seedlings now, to go in the ground with the monsoons (mid to late- July).
Also, I’m usually growing long-flowering plants. Laotians, Burmese, Hazes - simply because my environment will allow me to grow into Jan/Feb (…usually).

[RadioWaves]

I am with you brother! Starting seedlings now myself for a 20 weeker. My first outdoor was a haze last year. It went into January I think. Turned out nice

[TopShelfTrees1]

Down to watch this show and how you deal with your struggles and hot/dry weather. Great selection btw I love it

[OhNo555]

I am not in an area that has heat problems, I am in for the show to see what strains do well when grown in it.

[shade]

@Zanzibar

it’s easy to over water in the extreme heat

i took myself out of the equation and now have no fear

Do it yourself MicroOctopot Auto Fill System

[Some of this has been cross posted in other notable threads, I’m consolidating here for convenience and future reference.] A Simple AutoFill System for Octopots Greetings OctoPoddlers, I just cobbled together an Octopot auto fill system that seems to work perfectly and cost under $20 total. In the picture below, the little red container is pretending to be an Octopot. The white bin is the Controller and the grey tub on the left is a ten gallon reservoir. [image] When the Reservoir is ful…

Octopot Grow System

Anyone ever run this system?

[Zanzibar]

this is what it looks like 20 minutes drive away

Those plants sit there all day, every day - for months on end without rain; temps hitting 110 for a month or two. They’re amazing and I’m always in awe of how beautiful the desert is. This is also in the neighborhood:

@shade Thanks for those tutorials. I use Blumats indoor, and have to get a pressure reducer to run them outside (attached to a hose). But fro now I’m just going to set up an irrigation drip system with a timer, and go from there.

Although afternoon shade is essential in the Summer, especially from 2:30/3 on, what I’ve seen is that the roots are most important to keep cool. Fabric pots are difficult, and so going into the ground, or very large pots, is most ideal.

My plants will be going in the ground

[Rogue]

You might wanna study permaculture and dig some swales and bunds to maximize water soaking into the soil to raise the water table, gotta harvest those monsoons, also catch as much rainwater off every roof as possible, install big tanks.

Mulching, lots of mulching.

Woodchips to insulate the soil, can be used to create footpaths to minimize soil compaction by walking all over the place, limit your walking zones.

Plant nitrogen fixing trees to help hold moisture, create shade (you can prune them into ideal coverage).

You want 100% of your soil surface covered with mulch, woodchips or vegetation.

Making Desert Land Fertile with Water Bunds

Today I found out about bunds. [image] And yet again we are shown how profoundly powerful simplicity can be. Dig shallow holes, sow seeds, and stand back. Have a blessed day everyone.

Beautiful Details of the Greening the Desert Project

[Elpolloloco]

Hey @Zanzibar I’ll be following along; I always appreciate your genetic selections and will love to see you conquer the heat!

[shade]

awesome views and noble work. when i was in southern utah we happened upon a canyon out of nowhere in a place just like that, all of a sudden 50ft below us was a river, cottonwood trees, never wanted to leave that spot lol. definitely will be following your journey.

[Gpaw]

I’m seeing Saguaro so I’m guessing the Tucson area?
Does that mean that you are dealing with that evil Caliche ‘soil’?

Cheers
G

[Zanzibar]

There used to be a band around here called, Caliche Con Carne
Yes, lots of it. Caliche (for those who are new to the term) is a hard-packed sediment that rests just below the surface in most places around Tucson - it’s as hard, if not harder, than cement, and can sometimes run 4’ thick. It makes it very difficult to grow things as water just glides across it to settle into some lower place with more absorption. Jackhammers aside, a way to get through it is with horse shit and lots of time. The organic material will work down into it and loosen it up. It takes time for that, tho. God bless the pick and jackhammer to save time, lolz

[Zanzibar]

Today was 112*, yesterday got only to 109*
These are my Mulanje Gold, I looked at them this morning and one (M1) had got bit

I immediately put that plant into my ACed grow room. This is what it looked like when I got home this evening

My guess it was over watering, which I’m apt to do. Also being on that table probably doesn’t help. Also this evening the plant at lower right was also bit - the male in the second pic below. They’re all under a shade cloth, but it is 112* and this shit happens.

Also, it’s interesting to note that two early males (autos???) have shown up… they were both teh wide narrow leafed of the group, and they’re both early males

[FieldEffect]

Interesting to follow you and the difficulties your plants face. Similar to mine, but it’s not as hot here. Southern NM…

Anyway I put out some clones under shade cloth and they looked about like your Mulanje I’m very curious if it bounces back.

Also curious about the overwatering. I somewhat save myself (I thought) from that problem because I work all day and can only water once a day anyway. I feel like for me the wilty leaves I see at the end of the day are usually synchronous with dry dirt anyway. But it’s interesting that the heat wilt could share symptoms with dry roots. Maybe I’ve been over watering

Do you use aloe to help with the heat resistance? I found a tremendous difference last year doing foliar aloe. Tomatoes especially seem to have difficulty with the heat/sun and they spring right back to life like magic

[Zanzibar]

Yes, I use a lot of aloe vera. I cut fresh stalks of aloe and let it sit for about 10 days and then blend them up with some water and then add that to about a 5 gallon bucket. I do this about once every 10 days. As an experiment, you might consider watering your plants in the morning. Yes, they look wilted in the evening but I’ve found with my larger plants that they do well when I give them water in the morning or if possible cool water at noon… As long as they need it.

Also, my plants that got bit by the heat are probably goners. They never seem to make it back no matter what I try

[FieldEffect]

I need to get some big outdoor aloe plants going. We’ve got two small ones in the kitchen but I quickly used what was available to use and now use the live plant material very sparingly. I used live leaf gel when I was mending splits in stalks (thanks wind) or things of that nature. I’ve been using freeze dried horticultural aloe which is expensive AF and means I don’t use as much of it as I would like. How many aloe plants do you have to sustain that consumption rate?

Out of curiosity, why do you leave the leaves to sit for 10 days? Do they blend up better than fresh?

I try to water in the mornings when I can, Friday-Sunday mornings. Sunday morning is a really light watering just to keep things alive. The biggest interference is my work, I usually leave the house around 4:30am and return around 6pm Monday-Thursday. There’s just not enough light when I leave to get anything done.

I’ve been experimenting with insulating my black fabric grow bags, that made a huge difference on plant happiness for the stuff that isn’t in-ground. That and mulching helped a ton with my plant vigor and soil temperature.

Last year, space blankets and swamp cooler aspen pads as “mulch:”

This year, reflectix mylar bubble wrap and cover crop:

Anyway, wasn’t trying to derail your thread. Hoping to pick up some new tricks and see whether mine are any good or not. Jealous of the fact that you can do the crazy long-flowering stuff and start so late in the season, we get frost sometime in November and due to the altitude it gets pretty chilly during the winter.

Happy 4th!

[Zanzibar]

Wow I love those covers. So nice. The roots are the thing to keep cool. And please, post away on this thread, ANYONE - pics, whatever. This is a hot topic, lolz.
Here’s that male from last night that I mentioned. It’s the last male in the pics above. It’s doing well enough that I think it’ll make it. He’s in the grow room to triage

As far as why sdo I leave my aloe to sit for 10 days - it activates the enzymes in the stalk and creates more of the effective growth enzymes I’m wanting to harvest from the plant. This, in return, helps my plants more.
And as far as how much aloe is needed. I can’t say. I mean it grows here very easily, especially with some water. I now have a bunch of Aloe Vera plants around my yard and at my garden so I’m pretty set up. It’s taken some time to establish all these plants, but you gotta start somwhere. Here’s one of my also plots - a little ragged but a great resource

[shade]

transplanted some last night, didnt check the weather, going to 100F today. so far so good though. for transplanted dont see any other way than at night here, plenty of moisture left at sunrise thankfully.
hoping you guys in the desert keep those girls hydrated.

[shade]

afternoon shade for the win, no water for 30+ hrs now no problem.