Drought

[majorcatfish]

best way to know when the well is dry is to turn the hose bib on and no water comes out....

 

[thistlebloom]

best way to know when the well is dry is to turn the hose bib on and no water comes out....

...a little puff of dust and a tiny tumbleweed roll out...

When dh and I were semi newlyweds we rented a little cabin on 5 acres with a pond and a 3 gallon a minute well that we shared with our landlords. The well dried up every fall. Fortunately the pond supplied flush water that we hauled in buckets and we brought in water from town in barrels. You really learn to appreciate clean water from a tap when you are without it for a few months.

 

[Nyboy]

LOL I meant is there only type of warning signs your about to go dry. Low water pressure discolored water noise in pipes

 

[thistlebloom]

LOL I meant is there only type of warning signs your about to go dry. Low water pressure discolored water noise in pipes

We knew what you meant...just love to tease you!
Now Cat can answer your question.

 

[majorcatfish]

...a little puff of dust and a tiny tumbleweed roll out...

When dh and I were semi newlyweds we rented a little cabin on 5 acres with a pond and a 3 gallon a minute well that we shared with our landlords. The well dried up every fall. Fortunately the pond supplied flush water that we hauled in buckets and we brought in water from town in barrels. You really learn to appreciate clean water from a tap when you are without it for a few months.

having frozen pipes is just as bad.....

 

[ducks4you]

Mid American gardener still takes calls about "why is my tree dying" as a result of the 2012 drought. They have said that it can take that long for some large trees to die. We had storm damage and drive by this massive oak that went down last month from a storm. The inside of it is clearly hollow, about 1/2 of the diameter. Just some FYI.

 

[catjac1975]

Cat how do you know when your well goes dry ?

The water stops coming out of the spigot.
It was not dry-just could not keep up with the demand.

 

[baymule]

Back to the thicker tomato skins......in answer to your question @Nyboy the tomatoes were warning @catjac1975 the only way they knew how that the well was going to run dry..... if you have a well at your country home, you'd better set out some tomatoes....

Cat, my own tomatoes start out with normal skins but as summer comes on with the full force of heat, the skins get tough. Even though I water, the tomatoes are nowhere near as big as they were. I definitely think there is a direct correlation between the drought and thick tomato skins. I see it as a defense from the plant to help keep moisture in.

 

[digitS']

That "defense from the plant to help keep moisture in" idea is probably true.

I once gave tomatoes to a neighbor who watered every, single day she was around. The tomatoes had what I thought was a very recognizable look to them after years of growing them in my garden. They didn't look anything like that in her garden!

A variety resistant to cracking may not have tough skin. It is best if it has flexible skin, resistant to the changes brought on by pulling lots of water into the fruit.

Steve

 

[journey11]

After the big rain we had, 3" in one day, I had several tomatoes crack, the biggest deepest cracks I've ever seen them do. I've noticed that the closer to fall, the tougher the skins get too. Always wondered about that, if it were the cold nights or what. Lack of rain is seldom a problem here.