Our temperatures are already pushing close to 100 in Kansas as El Niño makes it’s exit. The cracks in the ground have started and I’m wondering just what we are in for this summer. It looks like a hot one and that sure is hard on tiny trees.
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I think the trees will be fine for the time being except for those planted within the last week or two. It will be hard on me who, had hoped to work outside all weekend.
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It is getting hot and dry at my home. I could back off with most of my supplemental watering but most of my trees are in their 2nd leaf and I am still trying to get them up to my preferred size fast. This is the time of the year that I’m glad that I only have 25 trees to take care of.
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It will hit 95 here today as well… should be interesting to see how everything responds.
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I’ve had plenty of water most of the spring and no new trees, so my watering efforts will be in the direction of the strawberries and vegetables
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Here in south central Nebraska it has been a blast furnas the last 2 days and 1 more tomorrow then a decent chance of rain tomorrow night into Monday. The nursery trees needed it … separates the strong from the doomed to not make the grade! I have some sweet cherry grafts and plums that probably have put on 6" of growth in the last few days. If we get the rain in the short term forcast I wont have to water, gave them a good soaking last week with the drip system… the only way to go as far as I am concerned.
Went on a short vacation to Colorado last week, lots of snow in the mountains still and the rivers were running fast. Almost all of the lakes are full so anymore snow melt that is coming our way will end up in Kansas or the Gulf of Mexico before long.
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You blast the AC or is it just fans in the window 
? I went from the day i was born to the day i moved into my first apartment without AC (dad ripped it out when we moved into our house!). My mom bought a new car in 1988 (early) and decided to skip adding AC ('88 was a horrible hot summer)…1995 was brutal too. I remember sticking my head in a lot of grocery store coolers as a kid. I can’t believe i made it through that. I’m the biggest wuss now when it comes to heat/humidity…
I think as long as the trees get enough moisture, they should be fine. I’ve got a tremendous amt of pruning to do with all this heat and moisture.
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We grew up without AC 90% of the time so I appreciate central air now. Some of the trees are thriving and others are struggling. Think the soil a tree is planted in has a lot to do with how well they do.
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I appreciate there are a lot of people that want to live in more natural conditions and homestead. I get a lot of that. But AC is not something I want to live without. If I didn’t have AC in 95 degree humid heat I’d never sleep a wink. I can handle being miserable outside but when it comes to unwindIng in the evening I don’t want to sit around sweating. I’ll take AC any day. Call me a wuss.
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The older generation had their own tricks. They stayed in the shade in this weather and it’s 70 degrees in the right spots. I was in a spot like that yesterday part of the time. I was working in the heat and then would rest in the shade awhile. Water will cool you off as well. In Florida I saw a lot of swamp fans outside that really help to cool off. Basements stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter so there are ways around living with the heat.
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Older houses were built beneath the shade of trees - makes for significant cooling
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Grew up without AC. Didnt have a vehicle with AC until I was half way through college. Most days I can handle not having AC as long as there is air moving. I agree with the AC at night though makes for tough sleeping without AC. When I build my next house I likely will not put in central air as it will be a smaller house with an open floor plan. Probably just window units for the bedrooms in the summer. Whole house fans (attic fans) make a huge difference if your outside temp gets below 65 degrees at night to cool the house down.
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I work in a 110 degree kitchen, standing for hours on end, I’d rather die than give up my home AC.
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I usually have hot summers. Not the kind of hot that just visits for a few days or a week. It hangs around for 4 months or so. I have a window A/C units in the kitchen alcove, one second story bedroom because it’s next to the attic and becomes unbearable otherwise, and in a guest room.
I have ceiling fans, cathedral ceilings, and skylights. The installation of those skylights made a huge difference. They allow the hottest air to vent outside and create air circulation. The upstairs still becomes hotter that outdoors, but not as suffocatingly hot. A swimming pool to tempt people to take their body heat outside, and grill for cooking out help, too.
In the morning I’ll be shuffling potted trees and plants off the back deck and into a more shaded area. I’ll also be moving others that are starting to look like they’re getting sunburned leaves to where they have midday shade.
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Hey Clark! We have already seen 115 degrees this year and are constantly above 100 for 4 months of the year. Our small trees do just fine. Dont sweat it. 
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It’s pretty much the same weather here in S. Indiana, Clark. I’ve resisted the late season sales so far, including those $4.99 apples from Stark Bros. However, a friend called to let me know that the local Sams Club has dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees in 5 gallon pots at bargain prices. He’s not a gardener, but he said he saw plum, peach, pear and apple, and that the parking lot heat was really getting to them. Today they were priced at $10 each, hopefully I can get there early and find a bargain! With this heat do you think with tlc they would do ok?
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They will be ok if you get them in the shade. I’m raising trees on the shady side of my house. I put some in the ground but they have nice damp but not wet soil.
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Thanks, Clark. I hope I get there to find trees with leaves, or at least a few. I’m ready to plant a few plums and pears, especially plums. Stay out of the heat!
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