39°
Its 100 degrees in the shade, the humidity is higher than in the sauna at the gym -- and youre feeling decidedly droopy. Youre not alone -- most of the plants in your garden are feeling droopy, too. A rain barrel can help your plants survive the heat -- and shave some dollars off your water bill, too.
Water is as essential to plants as it is to us. You should water anything you treasure in your garden at least twice a day but make sure you follow the basic rule and do it when the sun is low in the sky. This means early in the morning and late in the evening. If you water when the sun is high, any little water drops that sit on the leaves will act as a magnifying glass and burn the leaves. How much water do your plants need? Thats a good question and the answer depends on a couple of things. If you mulched your beds in the spring, then you dont need as much water because the mulch is not just keeping the weeds down but also keeping the soil moist. Mulched plants need about a half cup of water at the roots. If your beds are not mulched, then you should double that amount to a full cup. If your plants are in direct sun, they will need more water than plants in the shade.
What about the lawn? Most grass grown for lawns in our area prefers cool weather and goes into hibernation during the summer, which is why many lawns are looking slightly sorry for themselves right now. This is totally normal. Once the weather cools off, the lawn will green up again. Is it worth running the sprinkler and trying to keep it green? The answer to that question depends to a large extent on your green conscience. Water is a precious commodity and should be conserved whenever possible.
One way to ease your conscience is to install rain barrels at the downspouts around your house to capture the water that will be running off your roof as soon as the thunderstorms move in, as they always do after these heat waves. Rain water is actually better for your plants as it is untreated. You can find a wide range of rain barrels at your local hardware store or in the online gardening catalogs.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
