Hot and Dry

A month ago, the front page article in the paper was "Dry spell plagues Granite State." Well, not much has changed, except now we can say that we are officially in a moderate to severe drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Lawns are brown and fields are dry, and no matter how much time we spend, planting, cultivating and weeding, our plants will not survive without water. If you live in an area, which is experiencing well below normal rainfall, there are a few steps you can take to conserve water, while still ensuring that your plants will not suffer significantly.

First, you need to prioritize. Lawns will typically go dormant in dry weather, and although they may look dead, they will usually recover once rains return. This means that, for us, we aren't going to waste this precious resource on grass. If you must water, water deeply, at least one to one and a half inches at a time. Watering lightly may draw roots to the surface and will probably do more damage than good, particularly in hot weather.  Watering deeply, instead of lightly holds true for the garden as well, unless you are trying to germinate seeds, which in this case, short, frequent applications of water, enough to keep the seeds moist are best. It is best to water early in the morning - before the heat and evaporation of the sun. If you water late in the evening, you could create a perfect environment for molds and fungus to attack your plants. Also, try and water as close to the roots as possible, with a soaker hose or wand, to avoid as much loss to evaporation as possible.

Our lawn two days ago

If you have a rain barrel, you may be able to take advantage of even brief showers. It doesn't take long for a 55 gallon drum to fill up from an average size roof. Although studies have shown that, in most cases, watering from rain barrels is safe for vegetables, rain barrels can be contaminated with e-coli which could be hazardous if applied to certain crops. Also, you should never water plants meant for consumption with rain barrel water collected from roofs made with treated wood shakes,  copper or zinc, or roofs that have been treated with any type of chemicals, such as that used to kill mold or algae. This article from the Sight Line Institute provides some useful information from recent studies. However, if you are still concerned, then use your rain  barrel to water your flowers instead of vegetables.   
 
Since we can't control the weather, we can learn to appreciate the positives of dry weather. First, it means running the lawn mower less, saving both time and energy; Second, there can be a reduction of certain pests. I have not seen a tick in some time as they require a certain level of humidity. Grubs, which typically start reeking havoc in mid-July, do not seem to be a problem yet - either because it has been too hot for the beetles to lay eggs, or the grubs themselves are remaining deep in the soil instead of coming closer to the surface and munching on roots. No rain? No problem, you may even be able to sit outside at night without mosquitoes. Finally, hot and dry days  are great news for people on vacation or going to the beach.

Fortunately, my garden is still doing okay. Here are some broccoli, radishes and greens picked this week.

Anything, fresh from the garden tastes delicious and makes meals so much more enjoyable.