Anchorage Daily News

Wow, we only had about half an inch of rain in the entire month of June. I know, I know -- it is dangerous for me to write that given my record of spoiling dry weather. But folks, it is dry, and I mean really dry. Oh, sure, we have had our share of cloudy, cool days, and we have even had a few nights of precipitation. It just hasn't been enough.

Start with your baskets and containers. If you want them to continue to perform all season, it is imperative that you water them before they dry out, and that means you will have to check them daily until you can figure out their water "rhythm." I would suspect you will need to water at least two or three times a week when it is this dry.

Don't be fooled by rain, either, if and when it does arrive. Baskets are not designed to collect or hold rainwater the way a garden bed does. Moreover, the leaves of the plants in your baskets act like roof shingles, usually directing the water into the air rather than onto the meager area of soil supporting them.

It is best to use warm water on baskets. This breaks up the surface tension in the soil and allows water to be absorbed. If a basket is really dry, soak it in warm water for half an hour. Once the soil is moist, consider a mulch. Most basket plants are actually annuals, and a handful of leaves on the surface will not only help the soil's food web but will also help hold the moisture in the basket longer.

As for your flower beds, they too need watering. That mulch I keep telling you to put on your plants will hold in water, but if it gets really dry, the mulch starts to dry out as well. This means watering until the mulch gets re-soaked may take longer than in past years, when things never seemed to dry out. So make sure you are not only re-wetting the mulch but also the soil underneath. Again, warm water is preferable.

How much depends on what you are growing. Irises and ligularias need lots of water, almost every day. Angelicas, campanulas and meadow rues need much less. At a minimum, you should provide perennials with 2 inches of water a week during June and July. Vegetable gardens should probably get a bit more when it is sunny and warm, but for a summer like the one we have had so far, 2 inches should do it.

The general rule for lawns is to give them 1 inch of water a week, all at one time. If your lawn isn't as green as you would like, then up this to 2 or even 3 inches a week (an inch at a time). The easiest way to water a lawn is with a "tractor" sprinkler that runs along the hose so you don't have to move the sprinkler all the time.

More important, however, is watering the trees and shrubs growing in your lawn.

Start with trees. Putting a hose down next to the trunk is not going to cut it. Instead, place sprinklers a few feet beyond the outer branches and water both under the tree and out into the yard, where lots of the feeder roots are. Don't worry about using warm water. By the time it hits the roots, it will be the same temperature as the soil. Move the sprinkler so you get the entire circle around the tree. Two or even 3 inches this week makes sense given how dry it has been. If it stays dry, 2 or 3 more inches next week wouldn't hurt. This should load the soil down 12 inches or so.

Shrubs are a bit easier to water. As dry as it is, this time of year a person-size lilac or honeysuckle could use 5 to 10 gallons of water around and under the branches. Here the hose at the base may work. So might a bucket toss or two. Most of the roots will be in a circle under the drip line and in to the trunk. A soaker hose works best for a hedge.

Finally, the compost pile. The pile should be about 50 percent moisture, which translates into being able to just squeeze one drop out of a fistful of the material being used. In all probability, you will need to wet down your compost pile. Microbes need moisture to thrive in the numbers you need to get the pile to 130 degrees for three days or so in order to make compost.

And, while I am at it, let me remind you that your water system should work with ease and you shouldn't get wet every time you go out and water something. No leaks; replace washers. If a hose can't be fixed, get rid of it. On/off valves and quick-connect couplings are optional but very helpful.

Protect your investment in plants. Make sure they are getting enough water in this dry year.

Jeff Lowenfels is in the Garden Writers Hall of Fame and is the author, with Wayne Lewis, of "Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web." Reach him at gardenerjeff.google pages.com or on the "Garden Party" radio show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KBYR 700 AM.

Garden calendar

Nursery sales: It is never too late to plant when plants are on sale. Visit your favorite nurseries and take advantage of the savings.

Slugs: Start now to control yours. Put beer and other traps several feet outside of the garden. No sense attracting slugs from the neighbors' yards.

Defoliating sawfly larvae: They are here. Hand-pick, spray with neem oil and soap and water. Look for them in the center of the plant. They work their way outward.

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