The year after a drought

15 years ago

Last summer was extremely hot and dry in MN. I think we went for almost 3 months with little or no rain. I knew I could never keep up with the watering, so my plan was to give plants only enough to keep them alive and hope for a better season next year. It was not a fun summer and the garden suffered.

This summer has been much better although we are still in need of rain. What surprised me was how everything rebounded this season expect for one or two noticeable exceptions. The lilies seemed to be the most affected. They didn't croak outright, but I bet they're half as tall as they usually are. The azaleas and rhodos also didn't bloom like they normally do, but that's about it. I was kind of amazed at how well everything else returned.

My native plant/shade garden probably looked the worst by summers end. It was totally, crispy brown, but once again everything returned and looked fantastic this spring and still looks good.

For folks who've been through this drought thing, I'm curious at what your experience has been once the rains return.

Kevin

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

echinaceamaniac
15 years ago
We had the bad drought here in TN last year too.

My Peonies didn't bloom as well as normal.

The coneflowers look great though with more blooms than ever, but not as large blooms as before. Maybe the drought did hurt them a little bit.

Hydrangeas look better than ever this year so the drought didn't effect them one bit. My lilies look good though. Can't say the drought hurt them.

Overall, these plants all toughed it out. I did water mine regularly last year. It was a nightmare trying to save everything.
deeje
15 years ago
I'm just down the freeway from you, Kevin, so my experience might not count... but I thought that the cool, wet spring we just had has impacted my garden more than last year's drought did.

Everything was about four weeks behind, and I was concerned that I might've lost a lot of plants. But then with the first heat in late June, lots of things suddenly burst into bloom all at once. My asiatic lilies are just now forming buds, so they're still running late, but everything looks lush and healthy.
Related Discussions
Female Squash blooms won't bloom
Q
Comments (1)
The flowers open early morning and close within a few hours. Likely you're just missing them.
...See More
After eight years of drought------
Q
Comments (3)
That rain sounds marvelous..we've had mostly thunder and very little actual rain. After cleaning out the birdbaths I turn the sprinkler on the area to refill baths and allow the birds to enjoy the shower for 15 minutes or so. That little patch of lawn surronding the baths is lovely...everywhere else parched and dusty. The only other watering is my hundreds of containers and among them I see toads and Anoles just hanging around. When I return inside I can see the birds and chipmunks and squirrels coming for fresh water. I've got my own little oasis going here but I do wish it would rain. Hope you got some hopeful news from the doc, Gandle. Enjoyed hearing about your foreign visitors. The world is getting smaller ...just think how strange it is to imagine someone from Bulgaria 50 years ago visiting your state. Would you as a child have imagined such visitors as you looked at your world globe? Gives one hope. josh
...See More
Another drought this year? No irrigation - WWYD?
Q
Comments (6)
That was last summer here too - wet in May, then June though Aug was pretty dry and hot, hauling 100 gal of water at a time 1000ft and filling gallon jugs from the barrels to water by hand when gravity didn't work well enough to water 100ft long rows. I've already planned for this year to grow greens, cukes, squash, and determinate tomatoes near the house (then replace them with cool-weather crops when they're done). The tomatoes did OK last year out back (though some of my cherries reverted to currant-size), so did the potatoes. But I got late blight along with everyone else so don't want to plant potatoes there again, planned on beans which were a pretty good seller when I had them. And I did a few edamame plants near the house, I know that's a good seller and I have seed from 2011 so I figured I'd plant it in the trenches so wouldn't have to water as often (I do have drip hoses for those 40 ft rows, seemed to work in 2011 for the month that I needed them with barrels up in the truck). Of course 2011 was the exact opposite - we got 12" of rain in August (after a pretty wet May/June and a scorching hot July) and everything drowned or got diseased/rotted. Can't do melons - too much space and too much water. But I'm wondering if it's worth planting the beans, edamame, tomatoes, peppers (which never do well for me - at least not bells - I've got some non-bell sweets to try this year since people don't want the hot chiles) where I have to haul water, even if they are good sellers? I sold about $500 of tomatoes last year, but that won't pay for market fees, insurance, and gas. And I can't guarantee that the green beans, peppers, and edamame will grow well without rain. Then again I have over 200 tomato starts, had planned on planting 120 of them. I just don't have room for all of them near the house, even if that's all I planted. Would you do it 2 years in a row is the question? Is this the "new normal"? I don't want to be hauling water all summer long every year. Just don't know if it's worth it (time/gas and precious water).
...See More
This Week's Drought Monitor: It Only Took Three Years.....
Q
Comments (12)
Carol, It sounds like you and I are planting in the same style---sticking plants in the ground whenever it finally is dry enough that maybe they won't suffer too much from waterlogged roots. I have a lot of peppers in the ground, but still have habaneros, serranos, one Anaheim, cayenne and something else I cannot remember waiting for a little spot of drier soil. This really is starting to feel like 2004 or 2007 all over again and I had plants in June both years still waiting for the ground to dry out enough for me to put them out there somewhere in the garden. I also have about six dozen ornamental peppers that are still smallish. I'm not in a big hurry with them. Every year when the ornamental pepper plants hit the stores ,practically full-sized and covered with peppers, in June or July, I wish I had some of them. You know that I won't buy them when I know that I can raise my own, saying to myself every time "I could buy one packet of seeds and raise 30 plants for what they want for that one ornamental pepper plant." It happens every year and I ask myself why I didn't plant some (or more) ornamental pepper seeds, knowing I'd want them in summer. So this year, I raised my own---probably 5 or 6 or 7 varieties of ornamental pepper plants. I am going to pot them up into larger cups of soil-less mix on these rainy, dreary days and let them grow on, in flats sitting on a table near the patio, for a few more weeks. When the ornamental pepper plants hit the stores in hot weather, I'll have my own supply right here and can tuck them into spots in the garden where cool season plants had been growing or where excess water has killed something or whatever. Bon, Yay! I'm glad you got to do some work in the yard and get something in the ground. Any day I get to play in the dirt (even when it is mud) is a good day. It rained on and off all evening, and of course we have new mud and new puddles, but we only got 1.2" so the garden pathways shouldn't be so wet that I cannot venture into the garden. I'm hoping to at least get some weeding done, especially along the fence lines where the weeds and grasses get tall and try to creep under the fence and into the garden. I find it hard to weed the fencelines once snake season starts, and technically it has started, but I wouldn't expect snakes to be out and active on a cool, rainy morning with temperatures in the 60s. This ought to be my chance to clear out the garden's fence lines. I can tolerate just about any amount of rainfall, knowing the rain is so beneficial in so many ways, but when it falls too heavily as tomatoes ripen up and it waters down their flavor, I get cranky. I don't have much hope for the tomatoes we'll harvest in May. Their flavor is likely to be watered down significantly, but maybe the ones we harvest in June will be better. It is the luck of the draw. I'd rather have rain than not have it, but it is hard on the garden when it is too much at once. I still can make salsa with the tomatoes even if they are too bland to be very enjoyable for fresh eating since the tomato flavor is just the base flavor and the stronger flavors of the onions, peppers, garlic, etc. dominate the tomato flavor in the salsa anyway. My bean plants are having a great spring. They are too wet and the water logging of their roots (even though they are in raised beds) is causing a lot of yellow leaves, but they are covered in blossoms and small beans so at least they are having a great spring in the excessive rainfall. I'd rather deal with bean rust than spider mites any day of the week, and that is the difference in a wet spring and a dry spring. Dawn
...See More
duluthinbloomz4
15 years ago
Last season was a struggle, but things pretty much found their own way to survive and do reasonably well.

Like deeje, some things are a little behind here farther north, but many really came into their own after a long, cool and wet spring. The forget-me-nots are starting to drop their seeds now so I feel safe in cleaning out many of the spent plants. Noticeable "failure", the tall bearded iris had nice foliage but few blooms although the Siberians are still going strong. Oriental poppies were good. Lilacs were loaded and azaleas were heavy bloomers - dropping the last flower yesterday. Stella d'Oro's started blooming June 30, the peonies yesterday. My first Asiatics opened today and the Orientals and tigers are all budding out - and the lilies are normal heights. Daylilies, other than Stella, are throwing out scapes all of a sudden. The feverfew, nepeta and Veronica, dianthus, and salvias look the best they have in a few years. Deer snacked on the phlox, but they've come back lush; and the balloon flowers are right on target. A couple of hostas took on a life of their own and could reach the size of Mini Coopers.

All in all, I'm pleased so far this year. Yes, we could use some more rain, though, and there doesn't seem to be any in the immediate future.

A safe and happy 4th. of July to all!
DYH
15 years ago
We had one of the worst droughts in history here in North Carolina. I had planted a large, new garden in the spring 2007, so those plants were not established. I was very surprised by the survival rate, but I had planted for drought tolerance, so I guess I had gotten them watered in pretty well before the drought started. I mostly lost new variety coreopsis, some new variety coneflowers, one type of agastache.

We're not getting much rain right now, so I'm getting concerned, especially since we had a stretch of 100+ degree days already. Next week's forecast looks promising for rain.

Cameron
mxk3 z5b_MI
15 years ago
Regarding perennials, how they perform *once fully established* really has more to do with current season's conditions than prior seasons. With a lot of woodies, conditions during prior season(s) would have more of an impact, I would imagine, especially those whose buds are set the previous year.

We've been through very dry summers here in Michigan, but this year has been great in terms of rainfall! Not too much, not too little - just perfect. Things are very lush and full for the most part, and best of all I haven't had to water even once!!! (outside of my potted clay planters on the patio, of course).
mxk3 z5b_MI
15 years ago
Oh, and last night we had a good, soaking rain in my area. I heard storms blew through some parts of the area, but where I am it rained steadily for at least three to four hours, I think even more (was raining when I went to bed).

Which means I don't have to spend all afternoon dragging the hose today to ensure all my plants will be in tip-top shape so I can show off to my guests tomorrow LOL!!!! Especially Anabelle hydrangeas - everyone's Annabelle that I've seen this year are gorgeous!!

But, after my big 4th of July show-off every year - I just let things be for the most part. I have neither the time nor desire to be bothered watering, watering, watering, and I figure the plants will okay in the long run. If I do plant anything new, I will keep up with the watering of that, but other than that - the plants are on their own for the most part from July onward. I've even let my annuals turn to toast in years past outside of my geraniums in the front, which I can easily water with the watering can. Plus it's expensive to water!!
goodhors
15 years ago
My garden looks pretty well. I did water last year, but not a lot. Nothing got crispy, but most of the beds only got heavy water once a week. Too many beds!

In the fall I laid a LOT of soaker hose. Spliced pieces to make it all fit the biggest beds, then put leaf mulch over it. Made some soaker hose rings on a hose, on the shrubs along the fence, to ensure they could get enough water, with the large oaks close to them. Put down some shredded wood mulch too, on the rings around shrubs. Added more mulch this last week, heavy layer over the soakers in two beds that I ran out of time with last fall.

So I have watered some during the 3 weeks of no-rain in late May. Soakers seem to be working pretty well, mulch keeps the moisture available to plants and bushes. They all LOOK happy despite the dry time. Other folks around our town had rain, just not us. My mom is south of us, said it was like a short, daily scheduled rain for weeks.

We are getting adequate rain at the moment, just can't get the hay cut and dried to put up. First cutting is WEEKS behind now. Not much nutrition left, but still needs cutting so 2nd cutting gets coming along.

My Peonies were nice, just not great like last year. Iris were OK, but not the good show I expected. Other small plants, wild phlox, were terrific, great color, numerous flowers on the plants. Roses are coming along, looked great on the old-fashioned bushes. Steady bloom on the new ones from fall planting, Carpet roses, Knockout, Showbiz, Vetrans Honor, with flowers large and long-lasting. Lilies look great, normal flower quantity, normal heights. Daylilies just starting. Flower stems appearing overnight. Lilacs were poor, with other bushes good and bad. Elderberry just started but MANY blooms, should be a good show. Various Hydrangea just budding up. Delphiniums are terrific, along with the double Hollyhocks.

We have a well, so I water when I have the time, if I feel it is needed. I worry most about my big trees. So when I water the gardens, the trees get a good drink as well. I go for longer water time, not as often. Clay dirt helps hold the moisture if mulched well. I am hauling water to 10 new trees in the field. I think I have lost 2, but one root is still green, may resprout (I hope!). The remaining ones seem happy with water twice a week, if no rain during the week. Staying green. May water more as the season gets warmer.

Every year is a challenge to some part of the garden!! I know that the plants really jump when the heat goes up. I LIKE the 70F temps instead of muggy heat. Sure get a lot more done outside. Picked strawberries last week, they were GOOD!

The year after a drought

Comments (7)

echinaceamaniac

deeje

Related Discussions

duluthinbloomz4

DYH

mxk3 z5b_MI

mxk3 z5b_MI

goodhors

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US