Watering in this Heat and Drought

There are competing views - even among experts - about watering. Often, we get the 'ideal circumstances' guidelines such as water only in the morning. But, in conditions such as we mid-atlanticers are suffering, this might not work for everyone. For one thing, many of us cannot get to all our beds between 6 and 9.

So, here is some info I have gleaned from various experts AND found to be sound advice:

1) Distinguish between planting areas. In a shaded area, you can water later in the day than in a sunny area.
2) Do not assume that all early evening watering is bad. When it is very hot - and has been for several days - the plants themselves will dry off pretty quickly without the sun.
3) If you water the soil rather than the plants, you can pretty much water any time of day. Of course, you are likely to lose more to evaporation in the heat of the day.
4) Long, slow watering is always better than quick - especially foliar - watering.


Others' views?

All good to know!

I think its wise to remember that we can't just keep dumping water on everything , especially potted plants, just because "I feel hot". Wilting is a self defense of the plant. And in the humidity, some things in the shade may not really be drying as much as we think.

I've moved some sun plants in pots, into the shade.

I've put large saucers under some heavy clay sun pots, added water, and let that help cool the pot and plant during the day.

As for me I have started at 5AM except for one day this past eight or ten days. It is all ground watering with very few exceptions.Not everything gets watered everyday, and not everything would like to be.
This is miserable weather for small and more tender plantings,I for one will be glad when or if this decides to move on.

Further with watering concerns. I have had only one morning to mulch or cultivate . Making my water concerns even more difficult than they would or should be.

I just returned from a very brief jaunt outside to do a little weeding. I was soaked in 15 minutes from working in the shade. I have a feeling it's going to be another hour or so till I go to drag hoses for 1 1/2 hours. Tomorrow the prediction is even hotter. Ric

Watering may wait till morning, it's still 91*F and 72% humidity @7:45pm. predictions for tomorrow are 102*F and 40%.

This message was edited Jul 6, 2012 7:46 PM

@Sally:

Yes, I too have moved some "loves sun and heat" plants in containers into a more shady spot. I think containers are likely to dry out faster than beds, anyways.

@Holly:

Oh, I KNOW. I feel guilty complaining when our MD and VA friends are steaming in the heat without power, but this is truly awful.

I can't believe you even tried to weed. I'm just doing my best to keep things alive for the time being (looking good is so not an option).

@Juhur:

I understand: I have a heap of mulch ready to go, but I just cannot bear to do it in this weather (especially since my lightweight cart got a flat tire).

I wonder how unusual this weather is for you? Here, in eastern PA, we expect a few horridly hot and dry weeks in July - the Fourth is always humid and hot - but we do not expect it to start in June. And it is so strange, given the very wet Spring we had.

sissystars; That's interesting ,my wheel barrow,.tire blew up .I was walking past it setting up against the waste cans when the tire blew up.That sounded like a shotgun going off 10 feet behind me.(THAT WAS LOUD)!!

The weather is unusual,July ,August are expected to be hot,the last couple of weeks in July have actually been cooler than normal the last few years.This weather does seem to be a month or more ahead of usual.The past six days have been over 100degrees actual temperature.That is record and very rare, our heat indexes only occasionally reach that kind of temperature.Temperatures are nearing all time records here not just breaking one day records. 1936 Record for today is 101 and it will pass that easily for today.
Today's forecast 105 and it is already in the 90s and rising as I type this. I have seen hot dry weather that lasted a couple of months.1968-69 come to mind.That was a long dry summer for Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.I remember rivers that looked like roadside creeks that year.Only it never got anything near this hot for so many days in a row ,maybe a couple of days around 102 degrees We are in a drought here,only four spaced weeks since May that the usual rain has happened,it is at the edge of becoming serious.

Sissystars and Juhur, have you guys considered getting "flat-free" types of tires for your carts and wheelbarrows? I got one about 10+ years ago for my wheelbarrow, and while it was initially a bit more costly, I will NEVER have to worry about replacing it again, it will never go flat (like the old one(s) ), or explode and scare me into changing my pants. ;) I got mine at my local True Value for about $40, and it was well worth it. I'm sure lots of different types of hardware/lawn & garden places carry them. Just an idea, I'm soooo glad I got mine!

Had my son over last night for dinner and just hangin' out. He's 24, a hiker/climber/runner. One of those "fit" sorts of YOUNG people. < =/ It was about 6:00 when we finally got to my house (he did some grocery shopping with me first before coming over), and after the groceries were put away, it was time to go out and water everything. Being the young healthy strapping-young-lad that he is, I took him out with me to keep me company while I watered. In about 5 minutes he said he was DONE, couldn't take the heat anymore. LOL!!!!!!!!! I just HAD to tease him, that his 48 year old Mom could happily hang out there for another hour if I had to, pruning and watering etc, but the "Mountain Man" couldn't!? That did the trick, he stayed, but he sure did grumble. Heeheeheee. The big sissy! < =P

Speedie! I got the same sort of thing from my own strapping twenty something. He's been riding a bike several miles to/ from work in this weather, to avoid dealing with downtown Annapolis parking. Yet yesterday, strolling in the shade of big trees, downtown DC, he was the first to whine.
LOL

Great suggestions everyone! I too have moved some potted ones beneath my tree...just too hot for them. And watering for me - has to be done in the evening...typically between 8 & 9...seems to be doing just fine...I hear them saying thank you....LOL

sissy, I am glad you said drought cause here we are down 11 inches from average rainfal. WQell under half an inch has fallen since beginning of May! Usually my heat of the summer watering consists of supplementing Mother Nature on occasion and every other day watering of containerized plants, My yard is mostly shaded and everything is mulched BUTnow I am praying that Mother Nature will supplement my efforts (deep watering on rotation of three established areas) with some rain. I will forgo rain here if there isn't enough to go around if it will keep the food crops we all depend on alive and well.

Want to find out from other gardeners who have faced extended periods of drought how they went about deciding how to use any water resources they had and how and when they realized that they couldn't save certain plants, etc It is pitiful to watch my beautious ostrich ferns go all crispy along with my berry patch, etc.

Mostly, I worry how the big trees already stressed from last summer will hold up. I'm seeing cracks in the ground in various places. Don't want to live without shade!!!

There is no way that I can supply the inch a week usual water to my third of an acre no matter how I water!

I write these things, not to be a bummer or to get sympathy, but to get myself out of denial and into the present reality cause just like so many of those (still) without power, I think it will rain tomorrow and my electric will come back on.

On a lighter note, I hooked up an old sprinkler todat and ran it for about 20 mins this am, for the birds!
Gee, they really enjoyed it! So did a few butterflies.

Judy

@Coleup:

I completely get your worry about seeming to complaining when our friends are without power in this awful weather. Still... our plants are suffering and so are we, even if we know others have it worse. (This reminds of years back when my daughter started crying because she had complained that we had only cold soup to eat - no power - and then she remembered her school lesson about people in other nations who regularly starve.)

As to water resources:

I am seriously kicking myself for not getting my water barrels set up in the Spring when it was raining all the time. Beyond that, I try to tend to the plants most likely to die from lack of water/heat and get around to the tougher ones weekly. We have well water and cannot be going wild with babying everything. I DO practice not only triage but also what I hope are sensible tricks: water the things in shade during the day; water things in the sun in the early morning or evening. Forget the 'alwn' - what grass we have will come back, and so will the weeds. :-)

@Juhur and Speediebean:

I have this lovely light "English" garden cart, two wheeled, that tips and is SO much easier to manage than any of our barrows. It came with pneumatic tires. The one that went flat did not blow out - it just sort of gave up. I got a new inner tube from the company, but I have yet to figure out how to get it in/on. I'm honestly thinking I should just buy another with the no-air tires.

Speedie: how did you figure out the right size? I bought two supposedly 'fits all' wheels for a barrow a few years back and neither fit anything!

@Sally:

I don't have any great insight on the wilting issue. There are lots of tender perennials that go dormant at certain times (I think of the nasty looking daffs lying down outside). But, how does one know whether a plant wilting under extreme conditions is doing something healthy or ..dying?

Sissy, how did I know the right size of the tire? Ok, this is gonna sound so simple you'll think I'm being a wise-guy, but all I did was take the tire in with me to True Value, and asked the guy "Can you find me a replacement tire of this size, please?". LOL!!! Some things are just better done in person, and not online. This was one of them. =)
As for what is "supposed to" look wilty this time of year; someone correct me if I'm wrong please, but I'm pretty sure early/Spring bulb-plants (like Daf's and Tulips) "should" be looking pretty ratty this time of year, they go dormant now. I know for sure Daf's (not sure about Tulips or other bulbs, but someone in here will fix me up) do NOT want to be watered during their dormant time, they NEED to dry out and stay dried this time of year. If their bulbs are watered now during their dormant time, they will rot.
That's all I know. For now. ;)

lol Speedy on the tire! Works for auto parts and plumbing thingies, too! My bulb foliage is long since gone and Bleeding Heart and Virginia Blue Bells said see ya next spring a good month ago.

sissy, my hydrangeas are 'wilters' and if watered quickly will recover nicely, otherwise leaf tips and edges crisp up, Forsythia, deutsia and rose of sharon, droop. Mock orange, flowering quince and abelia hold up pretty well so far. Japanese maples and dogwoods sulk and look unkempt...they seem to protest temps above 85 and exposure to intense sun light even briefly now browns the leaves.

Since I have some mandated stay in the ac today I'm determined to find some info and guidelines for survival water needs of my trees shrubs and plants. Will let you all know what I find.

No birds appeared when I turned on' their' sprinkler so I will try again later....

Judy

@ sissy on wilting plants- I don't really know
: ^0
except with columbines I have read that they'll go dormant and come back. Spiderwort too I think. (But a lot of gardeners want their spiderwort to go dormant AND die lol.

There's a chance that a hardy perennial will go dormant due to drought, and have enough energy stored to come back, with better conditions, or just waiting till next spring. That is what they do anyway, just usually doing it in fall and having had more time to store energy. I wonder what signals them, is it always frost, or day length?

My frustration with drought is it brings clover to flower at a very short height, to short to mow the flowers off. The clover itself helps a lawn to weather a drought though, with it's chubby noded root system full of H2O, as well as fixing nitrogen (seed must be inoculated) to feed it. I have started to water our 1 & 2 year old trees to protect them, and will start the mature ones if we don't get significant rain in the next week. Ric

Here's another thought. BURLAP! Yep, you can throw together a sort of scaffold, or even use a tomato cage, and encircle the plant (if possible). Make sure you have about a foot of air space between the top of the plant and the burlap, which you throw over the whole contraption. I use twist-ties to "sew" the burlap together, and affix to the scaffold.

I planted, at the beginning of our horrid heat wave, a BIG Thunderhead Pine. Although it is a sun-lover, I thought it a kindness to shelter it a bit while it found its way into my earth. I used some old garden stakes, and tied a couple across the top so the burlap wouldn't fall on top of the plant.

Seems to be just the ticket, and for winter burn, you can do the very same thing. I've also used burlap as a wind-break with GREAT success, and its biodegradable. Not to mention, CHEAP. I liken it to Duct Tape.

There's my two cents!

Ric by now you and I know we aren't getting Gracye's T storm ...boo

Sounds good Gracye.

My dogwoods are wilting a lot even with some leaves getting crispy. THis kind of stress likely makes them more prone to disease.

Ric---
Funny--but the thought of watering the ground under my 2 Maples also occurred to me.
Same kind of thinking....need to water the giants as well....
We here have only had 1/2"of rain since beginning of May. Pretty drastic!

I am especially afraid of my BIGGER maple, which is getting on in years, like maybe close to 50.
It did OK in this last one--Hurray! That says a lot! But--I was afraid to look out the window.
I have seen how it bends and twists in very high winds--and it scares me.

I have a small back yard--and should it fall--I am sure my house and patio will be hit. It is some 50' tall.
Most storm winds come from the NW--and if it were to fall, it would fall to the East--and crush my shed and patio.

A few houses behind me (I cannot see it) a tree fell on the house with this last storm and sliced the house in half.
It is now condemned.....No one was hurt--luckily--but the house is theoretically gone.

I believe it may have been one of the old oak trees that were here before these houses were built. (1969-1970).
People wanted to keep some trees--and so some of the Oaks were saved. Bad choice....
Some fell within a month of people moving in--many survive to this day. Many have been pruned out and topped.

Isolating trees that have grown in a forest to "save them" is asking for trouble. They do not have strong, individual root systems.
Having grown up in a grouping of other trees--each supporting the others--they never develop broad, far reaching roots
--and so they are very vulnerable to falling down in storms. My God--These trees were already mature when our homes were built!
Now add 44 more years----who knows....

My Maples I planted--in about 1970-1071. I know when Agnes hit (1972)--my second maple, just planted, was washed over.
We picked it back up and secured it with supports. This is the one near my shed--the Red Maple/Swamp Maple---
whatever you call it.... The Silver Maple was already semi-established. Like--planted one year earlier.

In years to come--I signed up for lawn Service--and they came and fertilized my lawn (and the tree roots as well...) for about 20 years.
I could see how fast and strong the trees grew because of this. Branches come down regularly--like--nature pruning them.
OK! enough about gibbering about my trees......

Gibber ON, Gita! You make such sense, especially about "saving" some of the existing trees when removing others. About these horrid, severe storms, my father used to say "It's Nature's way of pruning." Can't argue with that.
It's also wise to consider the type of wood that a tree makes, like, if it is soft or hard. Usually, the hard wood trees don't grow very fast, so people tend to opt for the faster, brittle or soft wooded trees. And, also the ones with the undesireable "crotches." Then the trees show what they're made of as they grow...

As far my wheelbarrow it is the old tube type tire or was. I have to change the axle setting casing to put a "one fits all"tire there. I'll get to that eventually; I rather have use even need of that if I intend to keep gardening.

Ah'yes! the trees, smaller ones such as Redbud,........... lilac,I know that is not really a tree................ and dogwoods and such. That after the larger trees all came crashing down about 15 years ago.No more big trees near the house!

OH YEAH, Can't forget the JM's only they do grow S,L,O,W,..

In case I forgot to mention it; I don't like to have to water things as a must do.!!

I'm borrowing "sallyg"s" Grrrrrrrrr for a moment,!

Seems all I am doing today is reading/posting on DG--AND--running out to take pictures to show
what the heck I am talking about.

Talking trees here--so I needed to show you mine and some neighbor's.
Hope it is not too boring.... You will see the difference.


1--My BIG Silver Maple. Please note the strong branching and structure...Took this from my back yard neighbor's side.
Behind the split rail fence is my "YUK" bed--with D-Lilies going gung-ho right now. My house is on the right.
That is about all I have for a back yard.
2--This is, probably, an offspring of my S.M.--but is on my back-yard neighbor's property.
Here you can see the "weak crotches" S.M. are known for. He also has to deal with "THE FENCE"!!!
He likes it and said he would tear down his split-rail. Why have 2 fences?
3--This is my Red Maple (aka whatever...). See the difference in branching? Very horizontal.
Would be good for hanging a swing--if I had any G-Kids...This one's leaves turn yellow in 2 separate cycles.
The first when it gets really hot--like in September--and then in late October--when they all come down
within a week. No "red" about it! May be a misnomer....This is the one "by my shed"--visible....
4--These are some of the tall, big original Oaks (look at the 2 to the right) that people saved.
They are massive! and--many areas around here saved them....

This message was edited Jul 9, 2012 12:51 PM

Gita - Lovely! Lovely! All of your pictures! Thank you for sharing. You know, the Silver Maples have such a bad reputation, deservedly so, but I STILL LIKE 'EM...and that Red Maple - COOL! What a prize you have, so different, and totally unique. You are fortunate. But so are all of the DG'ers, methinks. Nothing like loving a plant.
I just made dinner, picked 6 medium-large beets, 8 nice white onions (so sweet and mild!) that finally grew bulbs on the ends... some tomatoes, and the cucumber - never milder and what a lack of seeds.
Now, that's the kind of dinner that all Americans should have from their gardens, and I believe that there would be far less of that "muffin top" around hips that many kids have (let alone adults), and fewer chemicals in the body. Besides, garden stuff fills you up! Makes me totally satisfied. And then to get onto Dave's Garden and see the photos that fellow gardeners have, oh, life is so good.

Thought about that tonight, Gracye....nice big salad...lots of greens....blk olives....avocados (YUM)...mushrooms....blackened chicken breast... I KNOW my body was saying 'well it's about dang time...thank you!'

Gita those are some wonderful pics of your trees, and I just gotta add, your "yuck" bed doesn't look "yuck"y to me at all!!!

(side note: did you know that, if your hand placement on the keyboard isn't correct, your name "Gita" comes out "Hoys"? < =D) LOL!!!

I see that, next year, I'm gonna have to expand my veggie growing. I've got a few peppers that are coming along nicely, one of which is nearly ready to pick (first time grower, YIPPEEE!!!), and I've been enjoying some of my grape tomatoes already, but the Early Girls aren't feeling very early this year. =/ Yep, will need to add more veggies next year, I'm clearly missing out on some goooooood eatin'!! =)

Well, I finally started a new thread called "Survival Watering" over here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1270476/

I'm hoping this will be a "Resource" type thread full of the nuts and bolts of how much water and how often our trees, shrubs and plants need to survive or be less stressed during extended periods of below normal rainfall coupled with high temps like our area has been and is likely to continue experiencing this year.

I don't think that 'survival watering' will be in competition with participation on this thread (which I love), I just want info to be consentrated in one place and easy to access for myself and any one else, rather than googling the wheel all over again, if that makes sense.

We got almost an inch of rain here last night so I have a day or two to begin my survival watering program which is in addition to my daily drips oops I mean watering! Hope you all were blessed with some of the wet stuff or will be soon.

Judy

Judy, that is a great thread, lots of wonderful information and sources, thank you! I tell ya, I learn something new here all the time, like, there **is** actually such a thing as "survival watering". =)

Anyone else blessed with that amazing summer shower today? I simply love the smell of rain sans the 'wormy' smell (don't ask...)

We got POURED on yesterday at work. By the time I'd left there, it had been pouring on-and-off (mostly on) for more than an hour, and I'm looking forward to checking out the rain gauge when I get there this morning. I volunteered to take out the trash at the end of the day so I could enjoy some of the showers.. the water was COOL!! < =D

Got home a little after 4:30 to find that we'd had NO rain down here. Dragged out the hose and started watering (and by the way, I ONLY ground-water everything, so I feel confident to water in the heat of the late afternoon. Attach the ol' watering wand, set it on low-gentle spray and hold it about an inch above the soil for forever at each plant/area). So, I watered the driveway side bed, then the front right bed, then the front left (aka: The Big Bed), so all I had left to do was the back shady/container garden area. At the VERY end of The Big Bed, it started to rain. Went from 0 to 100 in one second, instant pouring! Oh well... dragged the hose around back and watered all the containers.. in the POURING rain. < =D If any of my neighbors saw me, they musta thought I was nuts, but that's too bad. < =P The stuff out back is under a large canopy of trees, so they wouldn't have gotten much rain water anyway. (they only think I'm nuts 'cause they don't know as much as I do, LOL!!). The fun part was tidying the hose up after I was done. I'm a little picky about how my hose is rolled up on the holder-thingy, it takes me a while to put it up. Heeheeheee. I may have been drenched, but DARN IT, my hose is neatly put away!! < =D

LOL Speedie, The other day I drove thru a torrential downpour just 15 mins from my house, only to come home and find everything bone dry. We did get about 1/2 of rain the other night made for some nice weeding conditions yesterday morning. They are calling for thunder showers today so we will see if we get any of that. I am headed out to do a little yard work now the humidity is terrible right now and it is to get much worst later so even if it doesn't rain I don't think I will want to be out there working.

Our temp is dropping now, 84*F, but the humidity is so high, 84%, it's like being hit in the face with a soggy towel when you step out, take 3 steps and your soaked. Ric

Getting brief showers now, Tstorms possible till midnight, the dew point is a whooping 75*F. update 07:15pm Ric

This message was edited Jul 15, 2012 7:16 PM

7:30PM here-----

A T-Storm is brewing outside.....sky is overcast and some rain has started coming down.
I just hope it amounts to something!!! We get these passing small showers----then nada!

Seems to be clearing up just a little already.....Geez! It just started! But then--It is said that
T-showers always circle and then return--just like a kitty cat about to lay down.

I can hear the clouds humming---"I'm just a little old rain cloud hovering over Perry Hall....."
G.

About wilting. My mom, so wise at age 92, told me that "you shouldn't put water on a wilted plant. Makes it worse." Where did THAT come from? I swear that she has never said it to me, but it MUST be true. What say you?