I'm getting some flowers, but at this point, I just want to save my plants. Because we have a well, I've been watering some, but my poor daylilies and La Irises look pitiful. What is everyone doing to save your plants?
Linda
What are you doing to save plants in drought?
I grow Louisiana iris with rudbeckia because mine often look crappy after flowering. The rudbeckia leaves cover up the iris, and when all the leaves are dying back I just cut them down. It always emerges fresh and pretty in the spring.
Last night I watered everything (and got up early to do some more) and then continued making and installing my rain barrels today. I have 6 and am looking to get probably 6 more. We are also shopping for a cistern, and are making another rain collection area off of a small new addition we are building.
The contractor is also putting my washing machine in an area where it can eventually have a grey water reclamation unit placed behind it, behind a wall so that I can collect the water from the machine and use that too, if I feel the need (right now by law you can't use that sort of reclamation unit in Atlanta, however, I want to be prepared for when we can).
I love my very large garden. I want to continue to enjoy it and support what it needs to be pretty and bear fruits. So I'm trying ot think ahead and be prepared for both drought or deluge.
GGG
Most of my La Irises are on a bank beside the house. I hadn't thought of planting Rudbeckia in them. I have lots of triloba and goldsturm rudbeckia that pop up everywhere. I have 2 or 3 barrels that I could make rain barrels out of. I need to look on internet and get instructions. Has anyone heard when it's supposed to rain next?
Last I heard we might get a bit this weekend unless that storm system moving in from the west stalls before it reaches us.
I am watering deeply on weekends. Deeper than I meant to yesterday night as I awoke from a sound sleep and thought," I didn't turn the water off!" Out I padded in my raggedy tee shirt and bare feet to cut the faucet in the yard off. Luckily it was about three o'clock in the AM, so I doubt I scandelized my neighbors.
Daylilies are tough. If you have to cut water to them you may get some aborted buds, but the plants will likely survive. The LAs need more than average water for iris, so baby them if you can. I am concerned about my lilies, which are scattered throughout my beds. I have mulched with a light colored cypress mulch to keep the soil cool and prevent evaporation (well slow it down, anyway). I spot water if something really flags. My phlox get a little extra because I am trying to save the buds on them. I am afraid if they get too wilted they won't recover.
Beth
Beth, Don't you hate it when you finally get comfortable in bed, and you remember that you forgot to do something? I've been trying to give the irises a little water, but the well may be trying to act up. My lilies are scattered thoughout my beds also. I tried to mulch all the lilies with pinestraw when we had the cold spell. The dogs uncovered some of them. So those lilies wilted down and won't bloom this year. The ones that stayed covered are beginning to bloom, and they have the pinestraw to help keep in moisture. I have one patch of phlox and it always has problems with moisture because its under a tree. This year its really stressed. I doubt I'll get any blooms. Every evening, it gets a little cloudy and the wind blows, but still no rain. Hopefully it will rain this weekend.
Hi, Mercat. I live just over the line in Fort Payne. Go thru your sweet little town on my way to visit my brother in Powder Springs.
I have 2 iris beds. Don't know how old they are as I just moved here in Feb. I had one bloom this year from about 40 plants. I'm hoping it was the cold snap we had, but someone told me that iris just get old and stop blooming. I'll just leave them alone this year as I have tons of other things to take care of around this ol' house, but is there anything I should do to the beds?
Hope you Georgians don't mind me being here. I'm a native Atlantan and I know our soil/temps are similiar.
Hi Jaws, Glad you're here. The soil and temps are similar. We have a little place on Lake Weiss. Our water comes from Ft Payne. So I had to go there when we got the water hooked up. I have about 12 different bearded irises, and most of them had buds that were about to bloom when the cold spell hit. All the buds wilted and fell off. The only one that bloomed started blooming before the cold spell hit, so maybe the cold spell is the problem. If not you may just have to dig up and move some of the iris. Folks on the iris forum could tell you a lot more. One thing is for sure, it's not raining at the lake or here either. Hope it rains soon.
None of mine had buds or even stems except the one that bloomed. Nothing but leaves.
Does dividing them help? I've heard that's true of daffodils. I'll check into the iris chatroom as soon as I become a full member here.