Heat such as we have had this month, evaporates moisture even through your mulch over a prolonged heat spell. A sign of water stress
is when leaves droop in the heat of day and don't recover when it cools down toward evening. Those plants are in desperate need of emergency watering. It is better to water deeply and less frequently. Practice drip irrigation to conserve water. Turn your hose to a drip-drip, then lay it close to the plant stem for two hours, then move to another plant. Fruit trees could use an overnight drip-drip. Perennials, grapes, rhubarb, and raspberries love this treatment as well. When the weather is as hot as it has been this month, you should also follow this procedure with your squash and cucumber hills. Vine crops require lots of water, tomatoes like less. Corn needs more water when ears start to form. In row crops. lay a soaker hose (one with holes punched at intervals) along your row for same effect -- Alice Rankin/Alice's Garden Spot.

Full post in Extended Entry section

---

---