When I had aquariums, they had a variety of thermometers. I don't know how accurate they were but they weren't big. There was a short, weighted glass one and the adhesive ones. We had one stuck to our faucet for a long time.

I don't know how long it would lower it or how much. It's going to go into the 40's here and we're wondering what to do with the tomatoes.

Diana

Diana
40 degrees in August?
Now when I drove across Pennsylvania, the Interstate was built like a bridge from one ridge to another, like driving over the tops of mountains. The road was flat but the terrain was steep and deep. Down below, far below were shaded, deep hollows where there were roads and houses. And the sides were steep, the bottom was shady.
Do you live in the bottom of one of those, what do you call them (?) We call them canyons but maybe you call them "hollows" or something?

Yes, it hit 40 degrees last night. Brrr!

You're right, there are some nice views from the Interstate. Sometimes we call them valleys but mostly they just get the "bottom of the hill." I don't live at the bottom of the hill, just a little way from the top of one.

Wyoming (and Nebraska and Iowa on the way) certainly seemed flat to us. Wyoming has mountains but not in the Cheyenne area.

There is a "Grand Canyon" of Pennsylvania in the east somewhere but I don't think I was ever there (I could have been very young). I suspect it's not very much like the other Grand Canyon.

We have just had crazy weather for quite a few years. It shouldn't be so cold in August. However we did buy an a/c so that probably had some influence on it.

Diana

It has been cool this summer here. It should be over 100 and it is in the mid 90's. And dry.
I tried the ice cubes in a plant that was collapsed yesterday. It was prostrate in the pot, limp and wilted because it is also a new transplant. Very few roots.
This morning it is standing up, crisp and sharp, looking really good.
The combination of transplant shock and heat knocked it down but today, you wouldn't know it.
Ice cubes did work. I put 4 cubes in the dome twice just to get it through the afternoon as the light in that area is fantastic but the room is on the west side of the house and somewhat blocked from the swamp cooler effect
That room is always warmer than the rest of the house but that is great in the winter. Excellent light!

I'm glad it worked. I got new plants just in the middle of this cold spell. The heat will come on but it was quite a change, of course. We had some horribly hot weather and then it got unseasonably cooler.

I cannot imagine over 100 although I know people sometimes say "It's a 'dry heat.'"

You are right about the "dips" though. When I was much younger and on a motorcycle, the difference was extraordinary when you'd pass through a shaded "dip."

(Apparently those stick-on aquarium thermometers fail after around 20-30 years. It's still stuck on the faucet. I couldn't imagine anyone had removed it and it's still there.)

Diana

Lucky, freezer packs might work also.
Diana , dry heat with low humidity is much more bearable than high heat with
humidity. And usually there is a breeze when no humidity. So not as bad as it would be elsewhere .

Joanne
Phoenix is hell, which means 100+
Bullhead City is hell plus 10 degrees :)
I was in Bullhead once, in a restaurant, fully clothed and comfortable, but people coming in from California were staggering in the door in their BVD's, gasping for water. I guess people don't have air conditioned cars in California.
Meanwhile, I have a small amount of plants so ice cubes work, but I could definitely increase the amount to ice packs and get bags of ice from the store. It does work so far.
That transplanted AV was so bad I was certain I was going to lose it, all the leaves lying over the pot rim but it is crisp and fresh today. It will make it. It really likes the light!
That room is at most 85 degrees but it is just over the limit for stressed plants, I guess

When we had the high heat, I didn't lose plants but did have some problems with leaves. I had an Optimara in a bag go to mush and it had a baby on it; I lost half a Russian so I moved that one. I had moved what I think is O. Rita and it rotted. I think that plant may be a sensitive one. I got it rerooted, potted it, and now it had a leaf go bad already.

However, considering the how many plants I have, they really weren't affected that much. It was extremely hot in our upstairs and I have plants in the bathroom there. Of course now they're getting chilled :)

I set so many leaves tonight, I don't think I want to see another violet.

Diana

Not exactly on subject but-'hollows' are in Kentucky. And they're called hollers.

I read yesterday that this has been one of the coldest summers on record in the East and here in parts of the Mid-West. It was 52 degrees here in Southern Ohio the other night. I'm afraid we're in for another hard winter.

Linda

We are having pretty low temps in Colorado too. Two weeks ago woke up and it was 41 degrees. Cripes! We expect a rough winter here also. Last year's was fairly normal, but this spring/summer weather pattern (with lots of rain) has us thinking about our '97 blizzard. 52 inches of snow overnight, it was monstrous. Few cell phones at that time, and the only travel was by snowmobile!

Thought the addition of ice cubes to a humidome a very helpful idea when the high temps get out of hand. Could probably put them in plastic cups to lower the temp.

Haven't had the problem this summer, but in summer of 2004 (before getting serious about AVs) we nearly bought a couple window air conditioners. 105 F in the shade,-which is really unusual at 7300 feet-we actually brought one of those stand up swirly hose misters into the living room, on a plastic tarp so we could breath! :-)

Thanks for the idea! It's a great one!
Best,
Judy

Judy
Thanks for mentioning the (cup) containment!
I was placing ice cubes wrapped in a bit of paper towel in the domes near the plants but not touching.
Dripping ice water on the leaves and cold water sloshing on the dome floor, being drawn up by osmosis only occurred to me thereafter.
Confine the Cube!
Good Advice

This post was edited by lucky123 on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 20:39

Too cool:

"Confine the Cube!" Sounds like a video game! LOL! :-)

Seriously though, I do appreciate the thought of ice cubes, what a splendid idea!

Best,
Judy