Drought Conditions - Fall 2020

Parch - Parched - More Parched!  It's dry in some parts of the country and dangerously dry in some Western states.  Stats from the weather folks say we're in a dry period in parts of Illinois.  What's the difference from other years?

Other years, we most always have lack of rain in the fall.  The ground gets big cracks, some things wilt and others go dormant.  It's Fall in the Midwest.  Usually this period has followed a nice wet spring and most perennials are thriving off the underground reserves.  This year is different.

Although we did have spring rains, in my particular area it often went around me.  I'd get a bit of a sprinkling, usually less than half an inch, and no real soakers.  I'm glad some of those hail and wind storms went around me but the lack of moisture in the soil is now causing stress on perennials.  Perennials that are stressed in the summer will go into winter in poor shape.  

I have a drilled well that goes into a major aquifer and it would take a lot o dry out that huge underground river.  But well water is pumped by an electric pump and there is a cost to run.  There is also the time factor.

To water deep enough to really benefit perennial roots, water must be applied to the entire root system and at a depth deeper than the roots grow.  If the water is applied only minimally (shallow,) the roots will reach up for it and this weakens the plant.  It will also starve the plant of the deep moisture and nutrients within that lower level of soil.  Shallow roots on trees is the reason you see some blow over so easily.  It makes those roots more vulnerable to insects and disease which typically thrive in the few inches below ground level.  As the sun bakes the ground, it will also bake shallow roots.  In other words - water deep or don't water at all.  

No hand watering does as much good as a good rain fall.  A good steady rain over hours soaks deep into the earth and it covers all the soil to that level.  It doesn't miss the spread out roots of trees or the little sprouts hoping to become something bigger one day.  

Here is how I hand water:

If there are drought conditions or if I've transplanted or planted something new, I make sure there's a trough built out from the stem with an approximate 3-inch berm around the trough.  I then cover both the trough and berm with a good 3-inches of mulch.  Then when it rains or when I water, the moisture is funneled down into that specific root ball.  The water doesn't run or blow off.  It makes hand watering easier and less water is needed because it all goes to where it's needed.  It also doesn't coat the leaves.

The downside of hand watering is the dry soil will suck moisture out of the area you watered so it will need more watering than you suspect.

I have never used irrigation systems (simple or complex) but I know the benefits are regular watering, in specific spots and from the ground level.  The negative it can be costly and complex to install and run.

I've used sprinklers when the whole area is parched and things I love are dying but I don't recommend it unless you can afford to run it a L.O.N.G. time.  Otherwise, it will simply put moisture in the air, wet only the mulch and often cause mildew on some plant leaves.  If you feel you must use sprinklers, put out a rain gauge to measure just how much is actually landing on the ground.  At the end of the day, dig down and see how far it entered the soil.  Most people are surprised how little it helped.

Because I had a large walnut tree removed from a previously shaded bed, the hosta needed to be removed because they were burning up.  Once that was done, I moved in daylilies.  Daylilies that had been in the wrong spot in my yard and a few new ones.  This requires watering every couple of days.  I put the garden hose on a heavy concentrated spray and hit the trough.  I count slowly to fifty.  That's about a gallon per plant.  All the plants have revived and are setting new leaves and this means the roots are getting established.  

When I compare these frequently watered plants to my established daylily plants, it's a most vivid indication the established ones are suffering from drought.  Daylilies are tough plants and they will most likely all survive this summer but they are certainly stressed.  I consider my yard too large to water everything and some things will have to tough it out or die.  Hopefully the first.

There are some things you can do to help drought stressed perennials besides watering:

• Trim off seed heads.  These suck energy from the roots.
• Weed.  They compete for moisture and usually win.
• Mulch:  It helps hold whatever moisture there is in the ground and insulates from the heat or drying winds.
• Clean:  Cut out all dying leaves and flower stems or branches.  
• Check:  Make sure insects or disease hasn't taken hold on vulnerable plants and act quickly to mitigate.
• Pots:  Use saucers under your pots to keep a supply of water between watering.  Make sure it doesn't stand for more than two days otherwise you'll invite mosquitos.  

As a simple reminder:  If you burn yard waste, be especially careful this year.  Dry plants, evergreens, grass and maturing field crops can help spread fire quickly. You are warned!