watering holes to beat the heat

In an effort to keep the garden from dying from this heat I was experimenting with ways to water the garden more effectively. While walking around the garden I noticed that the plants that were doing better had depressions nearby that apparently capture water. Taking this one step further I dug small holes near (but not too close as to damage the roots) in many spots throughout the garden and filled all of them with water. Then after the water drained out, I repeated the process several times with quite noticeable results. The cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, and pepper plants look better and the beans have been growing quite a bit faster. This way I'm forcing water into the ground, getting the water into the roots and getting it way from the the zone where it can just evaporate off.

Another upside to the small watering holes is during the 102 degree heat I was able to go out with a watering can and pour water into these holes to provide water for the plants without getting water on the leaves which would burn and scar the leaves in this heat. I made a point to have the water be lukewarm, but no where near as hot as the water hose, a.k.a solar oven because I forgot to shutoff at the water faucet the night before, as to not shock the plants.