We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.

However, despite my best efforts watering plants deemed in need of it
every night some things have suffered spectacular failures in this
recent hot spell (mostly through serious damage done yesterday) with
flower heads frazzled and burnt to a crisp in the afternoon sun.

My local measurements showed outdoors at ground level 36C in the
afternoon. Nearest certified met office stations were 38C and 39C at
conventional height ~1m. We were on the N edge of the red heat plume.

Notable failures are a chunk of H. petiolaris which has had the leaves
turn an interesting crispy pale brown. Several Alstromerias the flower
heads have shrivelled and now look dead (as in turned pale brown).

Drought tolerant plants like sage and rosemary have also taken a serious
hit yesterday. They were nice and healthy until then. Now they look like
they have been hit with a blow torch with browning and crisping of
leaves. Stachys byzantina (lamb's lugs) doesn't look too happy either.

Foxgloves all look stone dead now (they were fine at the weekend). To be
fair I didn't bother trying to water them at all.

Some of the grass is now totally dessicated but there is still some
green grass and clover. Hedges seem to all be OK as is the fatsia.

Notable things thriving include lilies and outdoor tomatoes which can't
believe their luck (although did need additional water mid afternoon).

Cacti and citrus plants on their summer holidays outside also doing well!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 20/07/2022 08:39, Martin Brown wrote:
> We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
> at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.
>
> However, despite my best efforts watering plants deemed in need of it
> every night some things have suffered spectacular failures in this
> recent hot spell (mostly through serious damage done yesterday) with
> flower heads frazzled and burnt to a crisp in the afternoon sun.
>
> My local measurements showed outdoors at ground level 36C in the
> afternoon. Nearest certified met office stations were 38C and 39C at
> conventional height ~1m. We were on the N edge of the red heat plume.
>
> Notable failures are a chunk of H. petiolaris which has had the leaves
> turn an interesting crispy pale brown. Several Alstromerias the flower
> heads have shrivelled and now look dead (as in turned pale brown).
>
> Drought tolerant plants like sage and rosemary have also taken a serious
> hit yesterday. They were nice and healthy until then. Now they look like
> they have been hit with a blow torch with browning and crisping of
> leaves. Stachys byzantina (lamb's lugs) doesn't look too happy either.
>
> Foxgloves all look stone dead now (they were fine at the weekend). To be
> fair I didn't bother trying to water them at all.
>
> Some of the grass is now totally dessicated but there is still some
> green grass and clover. Hedges seem to all be OK as is the fatsia.
>
> Notable things thriving include lilies and outdoor tomatoes which can't
> believe their luck (although did need additional water mid afternoon).
>
> Cacti and citrus plants on their summer holidays outside also doing well!

Hydrangeas hate heat. Even watering them will often not prevent wilt,
but they will come back. I've found the same thing with pulmonarias.

As you say, there were many things zapped by the heat yesterday, but I
am hoping they will regrow. It got to only 35°C here yesterday (we still
get a bit of respite as we're only a few miles inland from The Solent).
But we've had no rain for weeks, and there are 2 - 3cm cracks all over
the garden as we're on clay soil. I've been watering since mid-April and
so far have used 32,000 litres of our hard/very hard tap water on the
garden. None of the ericaceous plants have turned even slightly yellow.

--

Jeff

Jeff Layman wrote:

> Martin Brown wrote:
>
>> We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
>> at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.
>>
>> However, despite my best efforts watering plants deemed in need of it
>> every night some things have suffered spectacular failures in this
>> recent hot spell (mostly through serious damage done yesterday) with
>> flower heads frazzled and burnt to a crisp in the afternoon sun.
>>
>> Notable failures are a chunk of H. petiolaris which has had the leaves
>> turn an interesting crispy pale brown. Several Alstromerias the flower
>> heads have shrivelled and now look dead (as in turned pale brown).
>
> Hydrangeas hate heat. Even watering them will often not prevent wilt, but they
> will come back.

Yes the larger leaves on mine frazzled, then yesterday the flower head
"crumpled" but a good drink later it's back as good as new, the leaves have had
it though, crispy.

it's only a plant-pot sized example, not a shrub, recently given to me by a
neighbour splitting hers up.

On 20/07/2022 09:00, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 20/07/2022 08:39, Martin Brown wrote:
>> We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
>> at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.
>>
>>
[snip]
> As you say, there were many things zapped by the heat yesterday, but I
> am hoping they will regrow. It got to only 35°C here yesterday (we still
> get a bit of respite as we're only a few miles inland from The Solent).

Being near the sea seemed to help a lot.

> But we've had no rain for weeks, and there are 2 - 3cm cracks all over
> the garden as we're on clay soil. I've been watering since mid-April and
> so far have used 32,000 litres of our hard/very hard tap water on the
> garden. None of the ericaceous plants have turned even slightly yellow.

The surprise after going out for a walk is that shallow rooted weeds
that I normally think of as robust like nettles look like they have been
torched and even more surprising there are lots of leaves shed by trees.

Some big established oaks, mountain ash and cherry trees have frazzled
leaves that have been dried to a crisp substantial numbers of them too.
I guess there really was no more water to be had even for trees.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin Brown wrote:

> The surprise after going out for a walk is that shallow rooted weeds that I
> normally think of as robust like nettles look like they have been torched

there's two patches where I let weeds have free reign, one has thistles the
other poppies, where I set wildflower seeds results have been variable from knee
high an in flower to barely poking out the ground, but weeds amongst them are
virtually non-existant ... I've probably pulled out half a dozen each of small
nettles and thistles.

> and even more surprising there are lots of leaves shed by trees.

yes, lots of crunch leaves underfoot, even some of my younger trees on drip feed
have had leaves stunt and go crispy, yet others have put on plenty of new growth.

In article <tb8bfo$jch$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Drought tolerant plants like sage and rosemary have also taken a serious
>hit yesterday. They were nice and healthy until then. Now they look like
>they have been hit with a blow torch with browning and crisping of
>leaves. Stachys byzantina (lamb's lugs) doesn't look too happy either.

That reeks to me of them completely running out of water; mine are
fine, but their roots could well go down feet.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2022-07-20, Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
> We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
> at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.
>
> However, despite my best efforts watering plants deemed in need of it
> every night some things have suffered spectacular failures in this
> recent hot spell (mostly through serious damage done yesterday) with
> flower heads frazzled and burnt to a crisp in the afternoon sun.

The heat seems to have paused our raspberry fruit from developing.

Our Blackcurrants (late varieties, early ones picked already) seem to
have dropped a lot of part ripe fruit leaving the ripe fruit dropping
immediately it's touched, and the fruit is pretty concentrated. Not very
tasty straight off the bush, but seems to have made a rich juice wiull
be syrup'ed and jellied.

I've not given the soft fruit any extra water - they are all well
established.

> Notable things thriving include lilies and outdoor tomatoes which can't
> believe their luck (although did need additional water mid afternoon).
>
> Cacti and citrus plants on their summer holidays outside also doing well!

Same here.

On 20 Jul 2022 08:39, Martin Brown wrote:
> We spent yesterday indoors hiding from the heat and watered the plants
> at 9pm when the outside temperature had fallen to just under 30C.
>
> However, despite my best efforts watering plants deemed in need of it
> every night some things have suffered spectacular failures in this
> recent hot spell (mostly through serious damage done yesterday) with
> flower heads frazzled and burnt to a crisp in the afternoon sun.
>
> My local measurements showed outdoors at ground level 36C in the
> afternoon. Nearest certified met office stations were 38C and 39C at
> conventional height ~1m. We were on the N edge of the red heat plume.
>
> Notable failures are a chunk of H. petiolaris which has had the leaves
> turn an interesting crispy pale brown. Several Alstromerias the flower
> heads have shrivelled and now look dead (as in turned pale brown).
>
> Drought tolerant plants like sage and rosemary have also taken a serious
> hit yesterday. They were nice and healthy until then. Now they look like
> they have been hit with a blow torch with browning and crisping of
> leaves. Stachys byzantina (lamb's lugs) doesn't look too happy either.
>
> Foxgloves all look stone dead now (they were fine at the weekend). To be
> fair I didn't bother trying to water them at all.
>
> Some of the grass is now totally dessicated but there is still some
> green grass and clover. Hedges seem to all be OK as is the fatsia.
>
> Notable things thriving include lilies and outdoor tomatoes which can't
> believe their luck (although did need additional water mid afternoon).
>
> Cacti and citrus plants on their summer holidays outside also doing well!
>

Noticed all the open flowers on our Albizia julibrisin (Silk Tree) had
been toasted by last evening. Still plenty more to open and some had by
this evening

--
Regards.
Bob Hobden

On 20/07/2022 21:31, Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <tb8bfo$jch$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
> Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Drought tolerant plants like sage and rosemary have also taken a serious
>> hit yesterday. They were nice and healthy until then. Now they look like
>> they have been hit with a blow torch with browning and crisping of
>> leaves. Stachys byzantina (lamb's lugs) doesn't look too happy either.
>
> That reeks to me of them completely running out of water; mine are
> fine, but their roots could well go down feet.

Some lavenders have also subsequently gone from looking a bit distressed
to almost dead. The leaves have gone well past wilted more like crisps.

Things in the late afternoon scorching sun when temperatures were well
above 35C seem particularly badly affected. I did water all the things I
thought might be vulnerable - drought tolerant plants were not though.

I think it was running out of water that did for them but surprisingly
that also applies to the odd large oak tree too. I expect this will be
the coup de grace for diseased horse chestnut trees already struggling
for water because of dreadful bleeding canker which has ravaged them.
Their leaves are now all brown and crispy but attached to the tree.

Curious thing about it is that some trees/plants the chlorophyll has
remained green and the leaves just turned bone dry (now dropping off)
whereas others they have turned brown like in autumn.

Rosemary seems to have a tactic of shedding leaves on the oldest parts
and reabsorbing the chlorophyll since they are turning yellow. The
growing tips all seem OK. Most other things growing tips and flowers
have been singed by the combination of fierce heat and sunshine.

It makes dandelions so much easier to spot now.
They are the only green thing remaining in the lawn!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 21/07/2022 11:52, Martin Brown wrote:
> It makes dandelions so much easier to spot now.
> They are the only green thing remaining in the lawn!
Yarrow. I hate yarrow.

--
Of what good are dead warriors? … Warriors are those who desire battle
more than peace. Those who seek battle despite peace. Those who thump
their spears on the ground and talk of honor. Those who leap high the
battle dance and dream of glory … The good of dead warriors, Mother, is
that they are dead.
Sheri S Tepper: The Awakeners.

On 20/07/2022 09:00, Jeff Layman wrote:
> As you say, there were many things zapped by the heat yesterday, but I
> am hoping they will regrow. It got to only 35°C here yesterday (we still
> get a bit of respite as we're only a few miles inland from The Solent).
> But we've had no rain for weeks, and there are 2 - 3cm cracks all over
> the garden as we're on clay soil. I've been watering since mid-April and
> so far have used 32,000 litres of our hard/very hard tap water on the
> garden. None of the ericaceous plants have turned even slightly yellow.

There are cracks in the farmland around here (Cambs mountains) that are
big enough to put my hand in. Past the wrist...

Andy