Holy Smokes!

TimN · Post by **TimN** » Wed May 21, 2008 3:13 pm

As a few people have mentioned we got our first 100+ degree days here in the Phoenix, AZ area this week. We just had two days of 107+ weather. Two days of record temps in a row! Humidity in my cactus "shelter" hit a low of 9%.

My data logger told me that it's been over 100F in my cactus shelter from about noon to ten PM. Low temps around 74F at around 8am.

The temps prior to this were fairly mild and a lot of my plants were really growing strong. It will be interesting to see how this affects them. The temps are supposed to be lower over the next few days. They are predicting 66F for the high on Friday.

I won't put my hat and gloves away yet!

Tim

cactusbutt · Post by **cactusbutt** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:04 pm

TimN wrote:
I won't put my hat and gloves away yet!

Tim

We had record breaking heat here last week,three days at 95 and one at 101 not all that common here in the rainy PNW but it does happen.Now this week in the low 60s and 40s at night with rain of course.Hope it hasnt put some of my succ's into dormancy as we usually dont get up in the 80s till July.

mikayak · Post by **mikayak** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:15 pm

Meanwhile, back east, we've had over 16" of rain in the past 2 weeks and temps that fell to 39F at night.

Both of my A. caput-medusae rotted that I had been growing from seed for 2 years.

More rain later today and all week with highs around 65F.

I'll take the 110 please.

iann · Post by **iann** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:16 pm

The record breaking warm and sunny first half of May (it got close to 80F!) has given way to cooler weather but still fairly dry with some sun. 35F at the local weather station a couple of nights ago, but not below 40F in my greenhouse.

gio · Post by **gio** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:30 pm

Even by me time is changed compared to years past, normally in this period had many plants with seeds ready yet I must flourish almost all!!

Giovanni.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:32 pm

Pretty much the same here...intense heat for the past week or so and has now cooled off considerably.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:38 pm

It's crazy windy here already today, dust storms and high winds predicted for later and tomorrow. The weed trees (locusts) are shedding tons of tree trash all over my plants. Has anyone ever used a vaccuum cleaner on cacti?

peterb

mikayak · Post by **mikayak** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:00 pm

No on the vacuum. My biggest problem is pretty much over - Oak tree blooms. After the Oaks bloom, they drop millions of 3-4 inch long dead bloom strips which get completely tangled in the spines and I spend the rest of the summer picking them out with tweezers.

Of course since everything I own will probably rot within the next week or 2, it won't be as much of a problem....

TimN · Post by **TimN** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:37 pm

I get a lot of tiny Palo Verde leaves on my cacti. They are a pain to get off with tweezers. I hadn't thought of a vacuum. Let us know how it goes, Peter!

I lived in Washington state for 25 years (originally a New Yorker) before moving here about 5 years ago. The weather here is virtually the opposite of WA. Up there we avereraged 250+ days of mostly cloudy or worse. In AZ we have ~75 days of mostly cloudy or worse. In '06 AZ had a record of 143 days with no measurable precipitation. It ended right as the Seattle achieved their third longest record of 24 straight days of measureable precipitation.

No, I don't miss it, not even a little...

Tim

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:33 pm

peterb wrote:Has anyone ever used a vaccuum cleaner on cacti?

Nope, but i have used my air compressor to clean off plants

(but not on Opuntias!)

mikayak · Post by **mikayak** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:31 pm

I wonder how the compressed air in cans would work (as long as you don't freeze the plant)

John P Weiser · Post by **John P Weiser** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:45 pm

Ditto on record highs last week and lows in the 60s this week here in Reno/Sparks. As far as precipitation go's, I wouldn't know it if I saw it.

We have had no moisture in the valley since the end of Feb. Fire season is only a match away. We have had three 1000acer ones already. Winds knocking over power poles.

But then I do not have to worry about tornadoes.

Just the occational earth quake

sierrarainshadow

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:07 am

Well, as long as it's above freezing I don't complain

We've been seeing highs around 80 and nights in the 50s to 60s.
Yeah, my kind of weather but it is tornado season here

cactusbutt · Post by **cactusbutt** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:37 am

mikayak wrote:I wonder how the compressed air in cans would work (as long as you don't freeze the plant)

I use to get dust,soil and perlite of my plants
works well just dont hold the can upside down
and it wont freeze.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:42 am

Here it has been in the 100's these past days. Today we also have wind advisory's in effect.

Mark

Holy Smokes!

Holy Smokes!

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