To Race The Sun, Screw The Moon

I was hoping to wait until this upcoming weekend to do my planting. At least those are the days that are best for planting according to my moon calendar.  

But everyday I check to see what TWC says about the next few days and besides being dry with no rain, I keep watching the temperatures rise.  Up, up, up they go.  (I usually don't have to worry about the oven being turned on around here until mid May.) 

Last Saturday when I checked THIS week was going to have a mix of sun and rain and temps in the low 80's. 

They changed their forecast.  Now, there's NO chance of rain with 4-5 days of temps in the 90's.

Why am I not surprised? 

Now, the lack of rain is a bit disapointing but (as so many of you experienced last year) it's better to be dry and have to water the garden than to be so muddy that everything rots.

(Hmmm...put down rain barrels on your list, Tami)

The heat on the other hand is more of a concern for the transplants. 

TWC is saying that next week is cooler than this week, but how can I trust them?  They changed this weeks forecast on me from one day to the next. 
So should I wait?

When you're in a race with the sun and the heat... sometimes the moon gets screwed.  Sorry moon.

Monday and Tuesday would be in the low to mid 80's with some clouds here and there.  I decided to suck it up and just go for it.  (I should have done this Sunday night but I was tired and still undecided.)

I pulled all the plants and seeds out and put them on the back porch.  I put on my grubby work pants and grabbed an old chair cushion for my knees.

An hour and a half later with stiff knees creaking, the tomatoes were in and watered and SM was reminding me I had to get to my dental (cleaning) appointment. 

"You're gonna shower, right?"  SM takes in my general grubbiness.

"Shower yes, hair no."  I replied.

So I head in for my appointment.  Both my hygienist and my dentist are gardeners.  Try gabbing with someone when they've got their hand in your mouth.

"Are you planting sweet potatoes this year, Tami?"  (Why do they ask these questions when they know you can't talk?)

"Nnime schooogand uuom meeeenticchhha dddattt." 

Which translates to "I'm so glad you mentioned that!" 

So being the smart girl that I am...(rinse and spit)...I asked her to tell me all about how to plant sweet potatoes.  (Plant in late June for August harvest.  Don't rush the drying process.  Give them lots of room.  Straw over. The hardware store in her town had slips.  ADD TO THE LIST.)

Then my dentist came in to inspect her work and poke around.  He told me last year he had squirrels eating his tomatoes.  They would steal the green ones and bite into the red ones on the plant.  He bought nylon netting but said if that didn't work he'd consider a BB gun.  I told him I'd never heard of such a thing and hoped he was a crack shot!

Back at the house, I put on my grubby wear and headed back out to spread some straw.  By this time it's 11am and my face is bright red and I'm sweating like a pig.  CRAP!  It's hot already and the sun is full on.  Hardly any clouds.  Now I'm worried I screwed up and I'm about to kill all my plants.

I was too hot to continue.  I figured I'd do the rest of the planting Tuesday.

I went in and cleaned up and got some housework done.  I told SM that he'd better get used to a cool house this year.  I just don't think I'm tolerating the heat very well at all.  Freakin hormones!  (Maybe I should move up to the tundra with Sue and Mamma Pea @;)

Around 2pm I went out and misted the tomatoes again, just in case the full sun was getting to them.  They looked a bit limp but not too bad.  Thankfully, some clouds rolled in later so they made it through just fine.

Tuesday found me out finishing the rest of the planting.  The tomatoes were perky.  I planted the itty, bitty pepper starts I had.  Tiny little things.  And then, beans and more beans.  

I love beans!  Last year, I didn't plant many.  Half went into the raised beds (and died...too hot) and the other half went into a strip that did pretty well.  I only had enough for fresh eating though.  So this year it's all about the beans and once they petter out, I'll plant winter squashes and pumpkins in their place.

That's the plan at least.  It's Tuesday afternoon as I write this and it was only supposed to get to a high of 84.

Ha! It got to 93 today.

I'll be lucky if anything germinates.