Resist the Urge

Two days without watering with the hose & the rain has come again… big time!

It’s been tough since planting last month. The rain has fallen extensively since Typhoon Songda and then Tropical Storm Maeri.

Previously watering once or twice per day due to the heat quickly drying out the soil. Until we noticed leaves turning a lighter shade of green and a few edges starting to brown.

2011©Jennifer Martinez - shot on iPhone 3GS

Honestly, I am unsure what is normal when growing plants and flowers, but instinct and a bit of internet research tells me they need to dry out a bit.

Rain and then hose water maybe too much.  Granted we only watered with the garden hose on days when the rain was a mere sprinkle, but who knows… We definitely don’t want to drown our new sproutlings.

Resist the urge to water, at least for a few days.

2011©Jennifer Martinez - shot on iPhone 3GS

Moving out of the Danger Zone

2011©Jennifer Martinez - shot on iPhone 3GS

The only thing to do was try to dump the water out without spilling too much soil and prop the pot up to allow the water to drain out faster.

2011©Jennifer Martinez - shot on iPhone 3GS

Double Edged Sword

The Good News: the garden hose allows me to stay in control

The Bad News:  learning to give up said control at the sporadic whim of Mother Nature

Tropical Storm Meari Proves Fatal

Our garden was off to a great start. Giving credit mostly to the moisture in the air and warm weather in Okinawa. Quickly I’m learning that this weather can be a double edged sword. With the close enough to the equator sun on one side and the flood our garden mid-afternoon monsoons on the other.   (Combined with tropical storms and typhoons… don’t forget we live smack dab in the middle of Typhoon Alley!)

Weeks of Drought

Both beds full of potted seeds growing faster than expected.  Proper amounts of sunshine, shade, and hose water daily. The first 2 weeks after planting we had no rain, and we’ve used the hose more often than expected. 

Days of  Wind and Rain

The everyday moisture and humidity is wonderful majority of the time. The rain helps until it floods the pots and the ground underneath.  Then the sun returns in full force soaking up every nutrient the plant was given in a matter of hours.

Due to the fact that I’ve never gardened before, it’s extremely hard for me to tell if the plants are waterlogged under the soil.  If the top soil is the only remaining dry spot or if it’s dry all the way through.  The soil has sunk down and settled into a compact mud that cracks at the first sign of sun.  It feels soft when I push my thumb into the dirt, unfortunately I don’t know what any of it means.  If only I could see what is really going on inside the pots within the soil.

Quickly I’m learning that if not careful this heavy rainfall, followed by high heat can be dangerous and life threatening to our poor little plants.  At the moment it’s just tough to tell what they need. It’s not as simple as wet and dry soil. For now, I’ll need to do some research on how to keep our new garden progressing.

 

Day 2 Rain Out

2011©Jennifer Martinez

Well, we didn’t get far before the rain started pouring down.  It’s supposed to continue all week too so I can only hope to start to make progress by next week!

Note to self: I chose to start our garden the same week that the yellow sand blew in from China, which may not have been the best idea.  The sand is said to contain toxins that blow over from Mongolias Gobi Desert. If it can cause respiratory issues in humans, I wonder what it does to soil and plant life?

Surely it will be ok, since I have yet to feed the soil any nutrients.  First things first, finish digging up these roots! Come on sunshine, and if the humidity would let up a bit that’d be awesome:)

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My good friend and husband both reminded me of the problem we have of flooding every time it rains.  In Okinawa it rains alot, so this is an issue I should have foreseen.  Getting started on this garden project I researched and planned it out to perfection only to be blinded by excitement.

Something must be done to solve this problem before continuing.  My husband says I need to re-route the water so it drains elsewhere, however this is not really my area of expertise so I am left wanting. Finishing the first step to prepare the ground is my short term goal. In the meantime I will try to find a way to rid of this annoying water problem.