Australia is in Heatwave mode

[mcsee]

I'm not sure if you realise it or not, but we're currently half way through our Australian Summer here and we're getting pretty hot at the moment. Adelaide broke an all time record today of 46.6C and Melbourne is in for the same tomorrow (Fri) with temperatures ranging from 44C-47C in Victoria. For those unfamiliar with Celsius/Fahrenheit conversion, 46C equal 114.8F



I for one can tell you that growing tomatoes is a difficult task, as I lost a big chunk of my crop 3 weeks or so ago when we got to 44.2C here where I live in the east of Victoria. Tomorrow we are expecting 45C+ temperatures which will cause a lot of garden casualties around the country.


If it's cold where you are, spare a thought for those of us downunder as we fry in the Summer sun. Growing tomatoes in Summer here is going to become an art in the next few years and beyond.


I'll report what happens after the sun goes down tomorrow.

[imp]

I understand your pain, here in north Texas, we often get triple digit highs in the summer, even have a bicycle race named the "Hotter'N'Hell" hundred each year. Tomato plants just stop and if it is too hot, just die off in our summers. Most try an early crop and a fall crop for tomatoes.

[NarnianGarden]

Congrats, you got the heat wave from the Northern hemisphere... we were suffering because of it half a year ago.

[mcsee]

You can have it back NG. lol

[bower]

I saw what happened to your Karma Pink and others on one crazy hot day, while popping in and out between the outages here. Your temperatures would be unbearable to us.

Good luck with the poor tomatoes... they are always a goldilocks.
I hope our Texan friends can tell you something you can still grow in the shade, when the heat gets out of hand!

[Koala Doug]

I'm a miserable and ornery cuss when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 27 degrees Celsius)... I'd simply melt away in Australia!

[Whwoz]

By 11 am, 39C at Trafalgar where I live, 42C in Sale, not that far from Mcsee.

Yes it seems to be that our weather follows yours by 6 months

[imp]

Ya'll have my empathy, I know what it is like to stand still and still get sweaty!! And keep most of the heat for right now, okay? We'll have it back again over here soon enough, and those people who are crazy enough to pay good money to ride bicycles for 100 miles in our sweltering, drippy August will be back as well. Nice folk for the most part, but me, I think they are a tad bit touched!!


As for tomatoes and triple digit heat, there is not much to do except wait it out and either you try to keep the tomato plants alive, or plant fall tomato plants.

[Harry Cabluck]

Sorry about your excessive heat. In our central Texas garden we use a white, mesh covering that cuts the light in half. It makes decent shade, but the ambient heat still prevents blossom-set. So far, the bestmost heat-resistant tomato variety for us is Porter. If there is something to better survive the heat...and set blossoms...news of that would be welcomed.

[Harry Cabluck]

Mcsee, Here's a view of the white tarps that we stretch over out plants. The 800-gallon water tank, Bushman, we are told, is manufactured in Australia. An inch and 3/4 rainfall on the roof of the adjacent garage will fill the tank.

[Sydney Grower]

Nice setup Harry.

Very clever

[mcsee]

Great idea Harry, thank you. I will definitely do something similar next season. I think I still have Porter here, so will try them.


mcsee

[Whwoz]

Love it Harry!! Bushman tanks are indeed Australian made, I have about 8 here of different sizes. Any particular name that cloth goes under?

[mcsee]

Woz, I have a shade cover for my igloo, it's white, but a different weave to shade cloth as we know it. More a commercial cloth.

[Harry Cabluck]

Whwoz--Purchased the woven 50% mesh in white a few years ago on line. Cannot remember the manufacturer, but many are listed. In searching today, have noticed there are now many more offerings, some are woven.