When Does The Garden Become A Fruitless Cause?

     Fruitless is exactly what my little bucket garden is right now.  Here in the high deserts of Arizona we are suffering from record breaking heat.  The garden is suffering as much as the wild life.

     Most of this season I have been able to water every other day.  I fill the bucket to the top with water and then fill my watering tubes.  Last month we had some pretty hot days and I did the watering routine every day.  Plants were grateful and maintained some blooms and produced a bit of fruit.  Of course a bit of monsoon didn't hurt.  On the days that we got a good gully washer the plants perked up, put on smiles and I did my happy dance.

     BUT - this week of high temps has me seeing that even once a day watering isn't enough.  Chilies are drooping, the struggling tomatoes are bloom less and dull and the squash is just pitiful. Darn this heat.

                                           So, at what point is it not worth it?  I say to myself, "Self, if you can just keep these plants alive now, you will have a great fall garden."  I may be lying to myself.  In a month, the nurseries will have beautiful, healthy plants ready for the fall season.  And the price of a 3 gallon tomato plant, which is almost ready to set, is probably cheaper than the water I am putting on the current crop.

     Oh, what to do?