We’re still in the throes of the heat wave I wrote about last week. In the last few days, records were broken up and down the state: 127°F in Death Valley, 119°F in Redding, and 113°F in Sacramento. Although the high forecast for tomorrow is “only” 95°F, any reprieve is short-lived. By Thursday, we’ll be back up to 108°F.
Cooped up inside, I was thinking of ways to photograph the heat. That proved to be quite challenging. Really, all you can do is capture the effect of the heat:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TNp0Dcd8mI77e-UKco7yVihhlSg0aL4Ho7DLAAFSDm26kYs-KNEBUz1ynty3L7FMa9ZvLsRoDh1i1Ft1APcpaPKb-UW4NxKzd04cPadlwQEFwXyAkC6-798158XGG2WjbSlw9uMfYYH3S-Uw1KY3d0XTliNHcPZWba1-de1b8xUNjEliiR_z2MP6Z7-E/w566-h640/PXL_20240707_003420261~2.jpg) |
Roldana petasitis in the late afternoon |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrg8OrF2gaO1_sktZIJA1s2t4YjB1c8eGH87QzkSa20J0z6G1fRytbAaPm2MNOPQmTsoXuHV9C7pGaLvFwk3ZQbmzF2Rz3lBSTSLGrCSZoQpe2GhulWe-e_xJC6ZONBepPBQdxDRp1lTIUsRAdiHljCf3MbZstwtNHmsniPBh2jcxlpmOqsL0edl7kcicn/w482-h640/PXL_20240707_153235731.jpg) |
Roldana petasitis the next morning. The leaves do recover a bit overnight, but not completely. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0eGRNNbk-ud4wI88FCtNGuGQ0h6YFGhtewuRYJfilsJq3gbYc6VonPF2hOqXycgg66IYFQrdl7XFmVJI34R8157FpFnOTFm7vafoa9jF25gWypZjhwc36J6RW3XJQ8htzqCztXeI5jb-39We6bgSvWMSmOxyFbsr9lZQWMHPLHpHTiSUQi3Fy-Sl5meC/w492-h640/PXL_20240707_012505116~2.jpg) |
Some plants simply don’t make it, like this Salvia chiapensis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90n-w8eZ4kbVKNmAX1sjYnPPOHx_OyQmHOgFojv1zWblFJeXXE1k2jToDxg6wR4PnvW5of5UPkWzk5O8C1UKLuGX3fsJRcFdqCmXTY8mmcskjIQnF0OCGm-DLTLX5M4Dar9WeL-BXD2ck8ZK2WxGgSeSisKqlMhkAYAB9K5NFGRzbwwWF6r6Sf0nvq25H/w640-h482/PXL_20240706_211253125~2.jpg) |
This Dudleya pulverulenta looks dead, but it’ll magically reappear when the winter rains come. At least that’s the theory. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibitWGQ2h7RVWCmProDMpaAWNFNOFj6ZdnC7dFKcWEDR45cr5EgCptAtRvPALKXQCVLt7_I-_Srl0rbqok-qU0uq7V82njV0W3FDIqud4jf0-wdRyDoh7QCmOeEodTcV6wqJptyj7lLfxDbhWJ4ZccSaQQ06ofD1VI3IDLD6drVpYbM3-YZiK56pVXy4_W/w640-h482/PXL_20240706_211350138~2.jpg) |
You know it’s hot when cacti start to shrivel up |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhQi280tWP-zd0oYBJHMT_YaSIHLVMPpvfpm8nnQBoTvnC4CeEcmA8WR4sfipwUxRsadH9nnsD_T4o8B7ZdcRbThxWW1P-Q3VrJGvkGGIIXFwZO0tW6g75Sws25ax_JoR1PItK1bkyGALxxbERcAMvO7j19-4EDhnPxjkSkHJ47bGaLtUMM_KgJoXQsNx/w640-h468/PXL_20240707_182212253.jpg) |
The leaves on our Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’ are doing the same |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrvFs6sMPZ3yyw7yCYoSPztZ3FRkh9WLGwOgck-tZNkyFaGd3QhvnDI-z615oDBJP-KIO_iuMOdxRd5KsOMvZCK1KzCRBfT0LxiBiSJhx2tO_JLlhLryk1lVGednteGHPtf8fpMESOIvG_x4PIOHzG2dZsoEG9qycXxpEyz4P8PWjUsWfPp0FI2ZFGCO4/w482-h640/PXL_20240707_012930967~2.jpg) |
Cacti can get sunburn, too
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTHSs0rEuVgXk3unMSilVH2rfjc5nObQahqHsYplWySLPcut-7lURDGBqkvlaI15XwzEm8W_T5Af6vZEL1FBgyxCek6RGoNpgRxveKjOIajNihFcbSIVg_BY2xY9qFzIoZaHnv7xX_Ff66LheuwXW6ihEl9-2qkQdVAFm23_jISoYd8fI1hxDuoiPLVLD/w482-h640/PXL_20240706_211435761~2.jpg) |
As can Euphorbia ammak |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7-Rmko8PmqIY4xTaHMUuVbmCpMpVxIfRlrViJzmr2my7fGWxlAz51sMbysoW8ZiJZfqbGX-psneGw1qtdrA8-gUfuVN-EzCmC49L-lAKul4fcOZmDmqVFckFb6PekzUlDgq6q9qYsiKBMGU2Ak1ah8mbrboRzm_ZE6ML7jwiQw7UmJT54JF1cEFo591W/w482-h640/PXL_20240707_222322381.jpg) |
This Echeveria agavoides decided to call it quits, although the others nearby look perfectly fine |
On the other hand, quite a few plants in the garden don’t seem to be fazed by the heat:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-n48mBFmNsCKkpmBRqSubmMXl3E1wCj5hgqByvpU7UIWqfy5KNT7yW6P-a7B7Q_iCjiVfW4yHcVaeIOnmXJuBwJ_Kmb68w7mpKvoBPg0QSUSlbbq7nYLa7wY1rtN6V5GtaZKdf4I4OyNp0lQvBeHcZJYQQ1xXRc3zJ9IM59C7gs6De2SMyZB37A2ElQm/w482-h640/PXL_20240706_200610406.jpg) |
Agave ovatifolia ‘Vanzie’ looking perfectly happy |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBzTjReQhqBT0VzhOTrY5GJGySo_FuKvs8V7ua5DWG2B5XDJIQKAG24YHjpirVELffbi5W59Wu1VWY-njTUA5A83g-Ts8ppnhquczjkxup3XY7LxxnliPpz-CIMkd1U6NeuTXO5xlr-PRxVbWJgxRV3LZZ4iJB7EZWqgNYl-nYygAZj4AUNimAxUsHW8C/w482-h640/PXL_20240702_185259381~2.jpg) |
Parodia magnifica flowering magnificently |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2guNSqM7ZMuAWffQ_LPk07w_YVjSzKMLhtphbvhn30De_7haYAlEHKVrwmazBBbDCFK6OsOMTaDrVx2Vd7ChyphenhyphengbTyqQ005_gxOvjYC8IO6BYMaw7XzaZ2G6D4_Gy48_8D31Hu4xRr-KAKIEgXw-xb7pTrslA51kO4p0WaBdSNvNWtbZH1TQaUa-ALh_e/w482-h640/PXL_20240705_192234451.jpg) |
Echinopsis ‘June Noon’ producing flower #19 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r5Ycp3qvIhUHHd56iyI930DeKBOo0CPjGuepGzhYimhrqh9Kt81OkOb2W1m7h0kROQwBK0x5vePCtPNYzc8AIXZW6w6gHa57jNO15-8BMdc1kY5UCfMhwl0EQ6iUe17RIFIjmCtBJ99xmClKvO5YMoI6cPpKTd5nwoadAh5sAyzdmKkZX5MWr7rY_GRW/w482-h640/PXL_20240705_164058809~2.jpg) |
Echinopsis ‘First Light’ is back, too |
I’ll leave you with a photo of the thermometer in the greenhouse:
Fortunately, the greenhouse only heats up like this for an hour in the late afternoon when the sun hits it directly. For the rest of the day, temperatures in the greenhouse are typically 3-5°F above the outside temperature.
Here’s the forecast for the next 10 days:
© Gerhard Bock, 2024. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
Hello! I wonder if you watered any of the plants? If not, do you think the ones that are suffering may have had better outcomes?
ReplyDeleteYes, I watered them before the heatwave started and then again the other day. The heat was just too taxing on these plants.
DeleteUgh!!! The Dudleya and shriveled cactus tell the heat story quite well. I'm sorry Gerhard.
ReplyDeleteAnother 5 days of this :-(
DeleteI know your pain!
ReplyDeleteYou know it much better than most!
DeleteSo hard to endure for people and plants, esp. those like Salvia chiapensis and the roldana from cloud forests. Remember all the whale's tongue agaves in Austin? Some like it hot! And great to see parodia and echinopsis handling the heat wave. There might come a time where it'll be necessary to erect shade cloth structures for the summer garden if this truly is the new normal. Hope Stella is taking it slow too!
ReplyDeleteThe cloud forest plants are *not* happy here, but somehow most of them do make it.
DeletePermanent shade cloth structures, that's what I'd have if I had an acre or two.
Wilt & sunburn, ugh I can't wait for this to be over. I'm glad you showed your Dudleya, it reminds me not to yank them out -mine look terrible! At least the nighttime temps have dropped slightly.
ReplyDeleteMost plants I have don't mind the daytime heat as long as it cools off at night. And it has, whew.
DeleteLots of damage up here in western Oregon too. Even though I water, the roots just can't keep up with that kind of heat overload, or they get damaged themselves, further compromising the plant's ability to cope. Fire risk just went from low to high in the space of 2 days. More to come. Yeesh.
ReplyDeleteIf the ramp up from normal temperatures to high heat were more gradual, plants could adapt. But this year, the spikes have been so rapid.
DeleteUgh, I am so sorry. I feel your pain, although of course my most recent experiences with extensive plant damage are in the other direction (winter/too cold). Do you have any plants in the greenhouse now? If so how are they holding up?
ReplyDeleteThe greenhouse is 3/4 full, and to my big surprise, there haven't been any deaths. It seems all the plants I have in there (1/2 cacti, the rest agaves and aloes as well as some bromeliads) are quite happy to bake in the heat. At least it's a dry heat :-)
DeleteMy 10x12 greenhouse here in DC got up to 105 today. But at that point the humidity was 39 percent. Have three fans working this summer and no signs of damage yet. Also have 60% shade cloth
ReplyDeleteYour greenhouse is larger than mine. That probably helps with air flow. I have mine covered with 60% shade cloth as well.
DeletePlants that aren't fazed by that heat--amazing! Echinopsis 'First Light...wow! So healthy and so beautiful. I can't imagine 100s for days on end. 90s for days on end are bad enough, especially when it's humid. The effects of the heat, while rough, are beautiful in their own way, too. Take care!
ReplyDelete