HOT HOT and more HOT

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Very hard to water here in SC where I live. Our one small spot seems to deflect rainclouds like crazy. Everyone around us gets rain quite often.
Now, on watering....we have a well only. The well has run dry 2x since we bought the place 2 yrs ago. Watering gardens from the well is not an option. Priority is clean drinking water first.
So, I use rainbarrels. I have just under 900 gallons rain water storage capacity, but in the drought conditions we are in now, it doesn't take long to go through it.I also need to use the rain water for laundry, as each load of laundry can take up to 60 gallons of water.
Last year, water rationing here on our place went in to effect back in August 2011. This year, I had to start in late March. I write down all of the rain we get, and end of year total that up. Last year, we were 4" under the total for our area.
SC has been in a moderate to severe drought since the early 2000's. Reservoirs running low, and not being replenished. Brush fires.
A region, and people, can only water and irrigate if they have water to do it with.

 

[ORChick]

Ah, drought. I understand. I thought it was just lack of expected rain this season. Yes, California has periodic droughts, and water restrictions, and I remember them well. We had a 7 year drought, with reservoirs empty, and watering restrictions and everything. Northern California was really hurting. It didn't make the National news until the 6th or 7th year - when Southern California suddenly had to deal with the fact that all the water they get from the northern rivers wasn't as much as they were used to. WE had to conserve, because water was running south; but once THEY had to start conserving the complaint levels got higher, and suddenly the rest of the nation was informed about the horrible drought we were undergoing. Sorry for the rant, but that episode really upset me

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

As I surveyed my back vegetable garden this morning, I had to decide what to water, and what to not water. All I have for the back gardens is half of the 275 gallon IBC tote left. I can water about 4x with it, but even then, I have to be selective.
The corn is done for.....so, I am letting the chickens and squirrels have it..for now. I watered the sunflowers (chicken feed for winter), the green beans and squash, the few beets I have left, my tomato patch, and the rhubarb box.
We got .20" rain yesterday, here on our 1 acre. That really didn't fill up much for my rain barrels. I transferred the fuller ones to the IBC totes.....total of 60 gallon for the back tote, and maybe 30 gallon for the laundry tote. That was it. The rest, I left for watering in the front.
I have been trying to get my greywater up to the sweet potato row, in the front of the house. It has really taken a beating this past week. And sweet potatoes love hot weather...
Anyway....driplines are not an option. Unless we can score a 3rd IBC tote for the veggie garden. It has to be placed above it...uphill...so any dripline can gravity feed. Right now, I have to use my little water pump to pump water to the veggies. Which is fine, but it takes about 3 hours to set it up, water or transfer water, put it all back up.
I am also having to do laundry with the rain water. As well as I hang all laundry out on the clothes line.
My gladiolus garden, in the front, was half burned up and dried from this weekends 108F temps. I am no longer watering it. If I do, the front gardens get all grey water. I am not yet to the point of having to hand bail and haul bath water yet. I did that last summer, but hauling/carrying buckets is hard on me.

 

[pinkfox]

yup i agree, the problem is not the actual act of watering but the fact that due to lack of rain many people CANT water, either their wells cant handle it, there under hosepipe bans, or they cant afford the added cost on their water bill for city water ect...(and even thos eo city water cant rely on being "allowed" to (though folks still do even with a hose pipe ban))

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Yep. And things aren't getting any better, anytime soon.

Just found this on a CNN link;

http://www.wsmv.com/story/18928357/water-running-out-in-one-wilson-county-town?hpt=us_bn8

 

[BirchHatchery]

well u said it was diffrent here then in the west we have 100 acre corn feilds/beanse wheat this is the corn belt and the drought is very bad we dont irragte around here far as i no we never have because we norrmally get the rain im not whining just saying what its like here i lost all my corn crop and most my garden is ok that i can hand water

 

[FarmerChick]

dropped off camper for some fixes

driving home the car temp. gauge said 102. whew. AC in truck could barely keep up. stupid glaring sun in cab


hot out there. swam last night. water was warmer than pee. truly. I sweat in the pool. that is just crazy LOL

 

[Corn Woman]

No rain in May, no rain in June and hardly any snow pack this last winter. Its in the 90's and the state is literally on fire. Last week 12 miles south was on fire and the interstate closed north and south bound. The last couple days 30 miles to my east is on fire and over 2000 acres gone. The mountain is a tinderbox of dead pines from the drought and bark beetles that killed so many trees. Here in the west the outlook is bleak. My city has had water restrictions for at least 8 years. Just hoping for rain. On the plus side I still flood irrigate and have 12 1/2 hour turn every 5 days and there is still water for that but who knows for how long. It's good know that sweet potatos love the heat because I am trying them for the first time.