Re: CULT: Watering During Summer in Hot Climates?

I hardly ever try to water established plants during summer - it's
futile in my gravelly soil.

After it starts to cool down or if we get a cool spell in August, I will
sometimes soak the rebloomers if it's been dry.

I water newly set plants, if I'm crazy enough to try to plant them in a
summer dry spell.  And have started mulching them with several inches of
lawn clippings plus a leafy twig 'tent' to protect them until they can
start growing new roots.

I've started mulching between spring planted seedlings with either lawn
clippings or shredded up partially decomposed horse manure.

If a cultivar rots here, I usually just throw it away - too many around
that don't rot (much) in my gravelly soil to bother with them.  With
rainy spells (2 to 5 inches/week, or more) alternating with a month or
more with no rain, the rot prone will manage to rot repeatedly, & are
not worth it to me.

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
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