I put "drought" in quotes because I don't think one has been declared yet, and it is still very early in the season, but I was very surprised to see the extent of damage some of my plants have already taken. Several hosta are browning. But they'll come back.

Far more serious are a young pin oak and a pagoda dogwood, both of which have several dead branches. I simply did not expect any such damage to occur this early in June, and thought they were sufficiently well-established that they'd be safe. Put the hose on them last night, but they definitely took a hit. Not sure how well they'll recover.

You might want to check your plantings, and put the hose on any recent transplants or others that may be vulnerable. And keep your fingers crossed for rain. Chance of isolated thundershowers Sat. aft/eve.

quote:

Far more serious are a young pin oak and a pagoda dogwood

Dinsdale...I would buy a gator bag for your pin oak to make sure the roots really get soaked. Just watering with a hose will not save the tree.

Also, for the Pagoda Dogwood (good choice, I bought 5 last year at the Arboretum's plant sale) you could get one of those weeping watering hoses that are round and will fit around the base of the tree. Just turn the hose on 'low' and let it soak for hours at a trickle. I used this on a Japanese Maple last summer and it worked like a charm.

Thanks for the heads up. We have a hill in the yard that I do not always get all the up. Just checked and everything on top is looking bad. I'm pulling out the hose and hoping. Are gator bags those green things on the trees by strip malls, etc?

Yes, gator bags are those green baggy pants looking things around the trunks. They're about $25 each. Teensy holes on the bottom let the water drain for several days duration. Water spike needles are another good way to get into the roots. This month's Morton Arboretum members magazine had a story on tree watering methods.

Our front lawn is so dry that pounding a nail into the dirt would be difficult. Beginning to water trees and drier spots began in earnest a couple nights ago.