Thanks Joe for ur feedback.. Ur input with the raft sounds nice, but i think its more for backyard-growing for ur own consumption. I plan to grow comercial, means in hundreds or thousands..but first getting experience nd experimenting.. The temperature will be a problem..i read of some heat resistance varieties, nd also the nutrient mix seems to be the key for growing lettuce under high temperatures. i read that a higher nitrogen part in the mix can solve the problem of the high temperature..nd maybe 50% shadow for the plants whhile the hottest hours in the day..what do u think?

Scott I received 6 inches of hail and 2 tenths of rain. The pepper plants I was hardening off that were against the north side of my house look fine. Most of the plants I had in my lean to the wind took some of the panels out of look ok. A few of the plants in the cold frames that were against the very west sides look ok. And the 3 plants in the garden that I hadn't removed the buckets and put the cages up look fine. The other 6 plants in the garden and 4 of them had maters on them and the remaining plants in the frames (250 plants plus) are basically wiped out. A few may rebound but not sure most will in time to amount to much. Had several real nice plants. My sweet corn is nubbins. Stripped the garlic and the onion tops are beat down to about 2-3 inches tall. The ground is covered with what it beat off. Will watch things for a few days. Might try to find some big plants to put out. I had planned to cut down and wasn't succeeding. Think this may do it. I'm thinking 20-30 plants now unless some show rapid improvement. Sure wish I hadn't removed the buckets from around those that I did. I looked at the weather this morning and they said the severe storms would be east of us and so did the NWS forecaster on the radio from Amarillo. Wish we had received more rain and less hail. Jay

Scott, I check it often, too, while longing for some real rainfall that will put some significant moisture back into the ground. This morning, the QPF is looking better than ever. I cannot get Tim to buy into the idea that we will get as much rain as the QPF shows. Too many times we have gotten our hopes up based on the QPF and then gotten little to no rain. It is disappointing when it predicts several inches and then all we get is a few hundredths of an inch. I have a good feeling about the rainfall for the next 7 days. I really feel like the rain will fall heavily like they are saying it will. It must fall. We need it so desperately. As much as we need rain, I would willingly go without rain the next 7 days if it would mean that the rain forecasted for our county would fall on Woodward and Logan counties and put a firm end to those wildfires. There was an old saying where I grew up in Texas that said "It takes a flood to end a drought ". Well, in that sense , I am hoping for a flood. No one is likely to get enough rain from one rainy week to end the current drought (like Love County did on April 29, 2009), but that won't stop me from hoping and believing we just might get enough rain during the next week to at least keep the drought conditions from worsening. I'm going to drag my rain boots out of the closet and put them by the back door just in case. I cannot even remember the last time I wore rain boots in the garden. Dawn

My garden is doing good. I have lots of tomatoes and grapes already, and a few bell peppers. My roses look a little pathetic, but I will fix that. I have a mass of asiatic lilies in all different colors going mad. The only thing giving me attitude are the hardy hibiscus i ordered from jungs. I planted 7 of them. And so far only 4 have shown any signs of life. And they are not strong signs of life either. I am sitting on my couch,Leo and Otis snoring at my feet and I heard a heavy rain move in. Good. I won't have to stand out there with the hose at 5:30 am watering. I have to be really consistent with a lot of my plants. I have some of my tomatoes and peppers in pots, and in Alabama sometimes you have to water those things twice a day to keep them alive. I also have a yellow pear tomato that I plant in a burnt out stump next to my driveway every year and it always does great. It doesn't seem to want as much water as the others for some reason. My large garden at work is driving me somewhat nuts. Its mainly roses, a few hibiscus and some lilies and glads. Its a raised brick bed and when it heats up outside, I have to water water water water. I am always grateful for a big rain storm,saves me from having to stand out there in the heat and humidity for a little bit. And the aphids have declared an all out war on me. They swarm 2 of my 18 roses I have out there. Always the same 2, my Tropicana and an unknown red one. I cannot get them under control. Grrrrrrr. Dont get me started on the Japanese beetles. Evil little things.......