Keep ’em cool!

It’s 44°C here today with a hot Northerly wind that’s blowing at 10m/s, so it’s like a fan forced oven outside.

The garden got a really good watering yesterday in preparation for it. The shade umbrellas were up this morning but I’ve wound them down already, the wind is just too strong.

The main aquaponics has had ice added to it and the IBC covered with shadecloth to help keep it cool and reduce evaporation.

Bottles of ice have been added to the worm farms and they’re covered too.

This sort of weather is a major test of our garden design. Most is still in shade from the bigger trees but that wind is getting in everywhere, drying out younger plants and the mulch.

It’ll be interesting to see what dies. With the new climate we’re giving ourselves, only the strong will survive at the front. Softer plants are all in the aquaponics now so they can be cared for more and with greater water efficiency.

The chooks are doing OK. They’re in full shade all day thanks to the Apple tree and Passionfruit vine in the chook run. There’s also the dry space beneath the chook house itself.

They’ve fresh water this morning and a bottle of ice added to it. I also gave the ground a bit of a wetting yesterday evening.

The funniest thing is their reaction to their newesy Summer feeding and cooling idea – frozen blocks of fermented grain.

They’ve looked at the one I put in the run just now, clucked at it and at the moment are giving it a wide berth.

I think they’ll get to love them though as the Summer progresses.

Keep yourselves and your pets and livestock cool, hydrated and healthy this Summer…