Arbor Groove

Planted Amaranth for the first time and it's starting to flower!

What a showpiece, I think we have to plant it again next year!

Baby honeydew ♥️

Who can relate?

This!

Stop running outside at 3pm in 105 degrees to "save" those wilting squash plants.

They are doing what they are supposed to and they are just fine.

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Tip: Resist the urge to overwater on hot afternoons!

Master Gardener Eugene Wong explains, on hot afternoons, it is natural to see some plant with droopy leaves. It is also natural to want to immediately give it some water. But stop, just for a moment. Poke a finger into the soil near the root to see if the soil is still moist. If it is moist, wait until the next morning to water the plant.

What may be happening is the wilting is only temporary for plants that have adequate soil moisture on hot days. Many plants with large leaves such as squash, cucumber, sunflower, and many others may droop because they cannot absorb water fast enouh through their roots to replace the water lost through their leaves.

Adding water at this time is not necessary and may actually be harmful to the plant in some case since the extra water may prevent oxygen from reaching the roots. Plants will often recover in the evening as it cools down. One of the reasons to water plants early in the morning is to allow the soil to partially dry out and allow oxygen to refill tiny airspaces in the soil. Roots take in this oxygen from the soil as part of its processes to make use of available nutrients. Suffocating roots contribute to poor growth and may kill the plant.

Photo description: wilted zucchini leaves in the hot afternoon sun

What a difference a week makes... these glorious tomatoes were green a week ago.

Side note: the birds planted these tomatoes, not me. They always seem to drop the seeds in the best spots ❤️

We've had many generations of these doves raise families in our flowerpots ♥️

We are growing Amaranth for the first time and it's faring very well!

It's not supposed to be planted nearly this dense, but I had an old packet of seeds to use up and an empty pot so here we are 🌱

Lantana love the heat!

Our Dallas Lantana is thriving 😊

How's everyone's Passionfruit Vines coming along?

We are looking at a bumper crop this year!

Lots of fruit at every stage (except the ripe stage) and lots of flowers.

If you are wanting a fast-growing reliable vine that thrives in our heat, consider Passionfruit.

It needs room to sprawl, so use it in places where it can ramble on with reckless abandon.

Bonus: it's evergreen so it looks good all year.

Some groovy Friday thoughts 🌼