“It’s been so hot this summer,” said a friend a few weeks ago, at the end of summer.
Why would she say that? I thought. “Has it?” I asked. “I record the temperatures almost every day and I was just comparing this summer to last summer. Do you know how many days over 100 we had last summer? Twenty five. Do you know how many days over 100 we had this summer? Two.”
Occasionally I miss a day, but I really do record the high and low temperatures from my yard’s weather station almost every evening before going to bed. It’s part of my routine, along with reading the weather forecast.
Because of my recording habit, I end up with a fairly complete and handy past-weather reference. And since I’ve been doing this consistently since 2015 I can compare summers.
This summer, 2021, was the coolest summer I’ve experienced “since records started being kept.” The highest temperature reached in my yard in 2021 was 102. Last summer, we reached 115. In 2019, we reached 103. In 2018, we reached 117. In 2017, we reached 109. In 2016, we reached 109. In 2015, we topped out at 105.
Normally, we use our air conditioning for a total of one to two weeks each summer, during extended hot spells. This summer we didn’t turn on our AC once.
Usually, the fruit of certain trees in our yard gets sunburned, especially apricots and Pink Lady apples. None this year.
A few tomatoes and peppers still got burned, but they scald at lower thresholds. It doesn’t need to be much over 90 for large peppers that don’t have leaf coverage to develop sun scald spots.
The avocados came through this summer happily. There was no sun or heat damage to even the smallest of my trees except one that is planted next to a large, light-colored boulder, which seems to intensify the sun and heat.
I’m grateful for the mild weather of the summer of 2021, overall. There were a couple thunderstorms in Southern California in the late summer though, as you know. One stomped through my neighborhood on August 29 and dropped hail and blew angry winds.
Among the damage in my yard was a 30-foot tall Chinaberry tree torn into pieces:
At least we got a lot of wood chips from the removal of that tree.
Do you recall the whipping of heat that finished the summer last year? If you live inland you probably got some damage on some plants. At my place, there were eight consecutive days of 100 or higher from September 28 through October 5. Good riddance to that summer.
The end of this summer? Didn’t even notice it. Not only were there no 100-degree days, a significant rain arrived on the night of October 4. I recorded 0.65 inches of precipitation in my yard.
I lived in a rural part of Africa for a few years, and I remember farmers always saying in conversation, “It hasn’t rained in months!” or “This was the driest year ever!” But I paid attention to the weather too, as I was growing my food just like them. I needed to hand water whenever the rainfall was insufficient. I also pulled my drinking water from a tank that collected rain from the roof so I knew when it rained and when it hadn’t, and I knew approximately how much had fallen. Over time I concluded that these farmers weren’t trying to accurately describe the weather so much as being dramatic for the sake of fun conversation.
It occurred to me that maybe my friend had been doing the same thing by saying this last summer had been so hot. She had no idea that I would get all serious and factual on her!
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We’re more coastal than you Greg, and I don’t keep records, but I can say with confidence that this was a very gray, overcast summer here at our house. It was warm and often very humid, so it felt hotter than it was in the sun especially. I am so grateful and happy whenever the sun choses to show up! Must have been suffering sun deprivation.
Hi Greg, Yes, this was a cooler summer for us here in Sierra Madre also. But nonetheless, we covered our Reed avocado tree with shade cloth for a couple of months, just in case. We planted it last November, and didn’t want to take a chance, because we lost one we planted two years ago.
What we did wrong with this one though, was we left the stake in too long, and now it is six feet tall and just falls over when we removed it. We removed the ties from the stake when we got the tree and held it with a loose bungee cord, but the tree, when planted was barely 5’tall, and now we have a problem I hope you can solve.
We really have learned so much from your posts. Thanks so much!
Hi Mary,
Unfortunately, I’ve been there and done that. The only way I’ve ever solved that problem ultimately is through doing some pruning. You’ve got to make sure the tree’s sides are balanced, but mostly you need to reduce its height. It hurts to remove some of that growth, but it has to be done. Now is a good time to do it too because the tree will still grow a little more before it stops for the winter around Thanksgiving time. Usually you only need to remove a foot or two from the top.
I was just telling a neighbor that this summer in Ramona seemed like the coolest in a long time. Thanks for confirming that!
Indeed, this was a pleasant and temperate summer here in Sunset zone 23 (north Vista/Bonsall).
The avocado trees (Reed and Fuerte) have never looked better sans leaf burn. Wild cherry tomatoes popped up throughout our 2 acre parcel providing tasty salads and sauce.
And yet, there was enough heat to produce bushels of Anna apples, Japanese eggplant, and Oro Blanco grapefruit though September!
It was a perfect summer. Thanks for all your informative posts.
Looking forward to the 2022 calendar. Please include unusual fruit trees like Kishu mandarin, Jujube, and Surinam cherries. All have been a great deal of fun to grow for us.
It really was as perfect a summer as we can ask for, Lorie. Enough heat for all the veggies and fruit trees that need it, but rarely too much for the sensitive ones.
About the unusual fruit trees, are you curious about when to harvest them or when to plant or something else?
Los Angeles too…I’m just east of DTLA and I didn’t have a day over 100 after the first week or so of July which has never happened in the 5 years I’ve lived in my location. The garden is usually spent in August but not this year!
Same here for us in South Texas along the Gulf Coast. Not one day over 100, which is very weird for us down here. I recorded the hottest day as 98f. So it’s not just my West coast friends experiencing this milder summer as well. I just wish I didn’t have to use my AC. Lol! Great article, Greg! Hope you’re doing well my friend. Btw, the Gems, Green Gold, and Jan Boyce avocado trees greatly enjoyed the milder summer as well. They are exploding with new growth.
Thanks for verifying my perceptions for this summer. I love this Vista/Bonsall microclimate. I had a whole-house fan installed last year, so I was watching closely, but not recording anything. I used my air-conditioner, but only to try out using an afternoon pre-chill during the few spells when the nights were warm. I thought the hot spells were briefer and milder than the three summers before.
Hi Greg. When will you have the 2022 calendars ready? They look like a great reference with very useful gardening timing and info.
Hi Rob,
I’m hoping to have them ready to ship in November. Thanks for asking.
Hi Greg, I just stumbled on your website as I was searching for maturity information on Holiday avocado trees. I’ve had one for at least 10 years and while some years it has heavy blooms and sets avocados, by the summer there maybe 1-3 larger ones at the most. Then as luck would have it the coyotes will get them. Why they don’t steel from the other 29 avocado trees – I don’t know!! I live in Jamul and actually follow the weather. But your description and info on when they are really mature – is in line with what I thought. I appreciated your information. I would like to attend your next meeting and was wondering if you use MS teams or some other meeting software – or if it is only in person. I’m looking to do a final fertilization on all my fruit trees this weekend hopefully taking advantage of the rain coming on Monday. I also worry about freezing temps and have on more than one occasion “decorated” my trees with pre-led Xmas lights to help with that. That and watering prior to the cold weather. I’m hoping it’s not too late to do fertilize!!
Hi Leslie,
The meeting tonight is only in person, as far as I know. If anyone records it, I’ll let you know. I might also share my slides in a post later this week.
Hope you got some rain down in Jamul. Got about a half inch at my place.