The weather here has been with no rain and 90 plus temps for days now. my lawn is brown and literally crunchy. I am talkin step on it and it literally crunches. I water at night when the shade fromt he house has covered the back yard for at least an hour and a half. I soak that down, just my gardens not the lawn. by morning everything is ok, not perky but just ok. by evening it is so wilted. omg, been a long time since I have had to deal with this.
So I ask, would getting some straw be the right thing to do? I do not want the roots staying close to the top but at the same time. I have lost an easy third of the annuals all ready. Even at the river the boat is in serious trouble.
so if I put the straw down and seriously soak it good, that should save it right without ruining the new kids I have just planted......
Thanks guys ahead of time.
Elfie

I am in the same boat. My rain barrels have been empty for a month and a half. Truly wishing for some rain. Good Luck!
Donna

Hi Elfie,I too am wishing for some rain.I use lots of traw in my gardens,soak first and than put it out.for new transplants I put pots,buckets or whatever comes in handy over them it helps a lot.Wish you luck and rain

Thanks for answering. I am going to get some after I get back form Florida. We got lucky this morning and got some much needed down pour. Started about 5, I had to get up and watch it thunder and lightening. So wonderful to see. First good rain in about 3 or 4 weeks. I hope you get rain soon. Even if it is a flash in the pan like we got today. Will make leaving a bit easier. I won't have to worry so much now.
I planted something like 80 bulbs,high school fund rasier stuff, not a one came up, so I had to put in some new stuff. it has been a battle to keep them alive so they take.
Which is why I was thinkin straw to keep the moist in. thanks so very much.

Still no rain in Indiana a week after your posts. Same problem here. I'm using a soaker hose - drip type. Yesterday I put straw down in my veggie garden.

My tomato, green and wax been plants are ok, but my pepper plants seem to be stunted.

Pray for rain! If we're having these problems, think how the farmers feel!!!

I would also try the straw and I would take a 5 gallon bucket and poke holes in the bottom and then fill it and just let it set next to some plants that you dont want to lose, it will water the plants deep down and with the bucket sitting there, the water will not be able to dissapate in the air so quickly.

We haven't had a lot of rain here either. We use grass clippings around our vegatable plants and it seems to be working.

Lovegreenery

Well, here in the UK where it chucks down with rain at the drop of a hat.....

nuff said.

Could you use a good thick mulch like bark chippings to hold in what little moisture you have?

If not then maybe a cactus garden?

OK, here's what I do in west TX as a matter of course. THe soaker hose is good. However you water, remember to do it deeply and less often rather than sprinkling the tops more often. This promotes deep roots. Next: mulch. Got to have it. Use whatever is cheap and available in your area. I like a mixture of shredded and medium bark. It makes a good cover. Grass clippings can be used, but I find they mold and pack. Straw works pretty well but you'll end up with sprouted wheat or oats or whatever kind of straw it is. Even shredded newspaper works. Water low and slow, early morning and/or early evening. If you have something valuable, make a quickie PVC frame and use electrical quick ties to afix shade cloth. Or you can take your left over black pots, flank your plant(s) with them (up-side-down), spread the shade cloth on top, and hold it down with a rock. Keep it on until the temp drops to something normal. Good luck to us all.

Yep! Having the same problem. Even my cannas won't bloom, this year. It's been way too dry. My hosta is dying, petunias are lost, four-o-clocks won't bloom. The only things doing good are my prickly pear & the several mother-of-thousands I have.