I just watered today and we got some overnight rain a few days ago but I water heavily all the time anyways. I have to keep my Silver Maples well hydrated so that the hosta can get some water.

Yes definitely water. Not sure where you are but I'm in NE Pa and we have had no significant rain/snow since December. With this record warmth I've been watering every three days and it's not even spring yet-officially.

Scott

I wish I could give you the rain we've been getting here. Trade you some wet soil for your dry. Together it should be just right.

Karen

You could look at the link below to see if you need to water. This slow moving system will creep to the east giving a lot of us a good drink. Its not due here in the Milwaukee area until late Thursday.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Radar

I don't have as much a problem in IL with dry soil as I had in the Ozarks, where there was maybe 5" clay over hardpan I am in coal country and my soil is always rather loose, black, and tends to hold water. Not only is the warm spring and lack of snow cover a problem this year: the winds are a real culprit. I have had a steel shed lifted up off the ground, my roofing damaged, some vinyl-siding loss, and of course a lot of tree damage. We have had high winds (25-49 mph)almost daily, it seems, for 5-6 months. I am almost ready for my 3rd flag during this period). These winds dessicate the surface soil, where our hostas and maples compete for water; and the maples will always win.

I will estimate I had only 4 overnights with snow cover all winter long, and I watered my hosta beds already. Like Frank, I had a little rain the day after I watered and my hostas sprang into life. Early in the year, when the leaves are still furled, soil humidity is very important. If I hadn't watered, the rain would not have affected more than the top 1/4 inch of soil

As an aside, when hosta leaves are totally unfurled, doesn't water obtained from the roots evaporate from them, thereby cooling them - kind of like when we sweat?

Les

I've been considering it the last few days. I'll hold out a bit longer, but if it's gotta be done...it's gotta be done.
Gayle

At first I thought this post was a joke. Like Karen (tepelus) here in north central Ohio we have been living with regular drenchings flood watches, etc. My vegetable garden is still under water.

is it because your hated maples are budding out.. and sucking your soil dry ..

or did you finally get rid of them all.. i cant remember ...

i guess that tornado and rains last thursday.. blew right by you.. and attacked me with rain and hail.. and monroe/dexter with tornados???

any update on the hydroponic seedlings.. how about a new post and some pix ...

ken

I've left the leaf mulch over the hosta. Despite these temperatures, there is no reason to count on spring yet. And in the meantime, it's nice and moist under the leafy blanket.

We have had a lot of rain during the winter,but I never water,even when hostas come up after a "normal" winter. Mine are actively growing now,and they still are "pumping up" water from beneath the soil. Just my two cents worth. Phil

I would hold off - we will get rain soon enough anyway. If you water it will just encourage them to sprout and leaf out quicker, and we really don't want that to happen in March. Until they have leaves they really don't need much water anyway and tend to have enough saved this time of year.

I won't be watering at all for at least another month so they stay dormant as long as possible.

i didnt see that actual question ...

how about you go dig a hole with a hand trowel.. or a jackhammer under the maple. and find out if it really is dry.. down 2 to 4 inches ...

surface moisture is not really indicative of what is going on down deep.. and it is truly hard to believe that your soil is dry in march ... but this year.. who knows ...

otherwise.. i agree with chris ...

also.. i think you put in irrigation.. and i am not sure it is time to charge that system .. for fear of a frost or freeze ..

ken

I haven't had very much rain at all or even snow here in Central Illinois. Not enough to supply the lovely Silver Maples and the hosta.

Ken, it takes a hatchet, sawzall, pruners, blisters and a very sore back to dig a hole under a Maple, you know that! ;)

Hornbaker Gardens posted on their website that they have started their cleanup in the hosta hoop houses where they overwinter their hosta. They wrote that they uncover them, clean off last years leaves, fertilize and water.

Their plants don't get any moisture over winter so that is why they have to water now. I was surprised to see that they fertilize before they have any growth. They use a very loose bark fines potting mix that pretty much falls off the root ball if there are not a ton of roots holding it together.

I just noticed that they are opening early this year. March 31st instead of the usual April 10th. Yeah! Instead of calling it Spring this year we should give it a new name since it is being different. How about Sproing? lol

Here is a link that might be useful: Hornbaker Spring cleaning

A neighbour told me today that if there are blackflies in March, there will be snow in May.
I've never heard that before, but then, I haven't seen blackflies in March before.
The soil is still moist, though, and water levels seem high. But I'm looking forward to the cooler weather that is supposed to arrive here at the end of the week. It's more seemly.

i think you missed my point.. IS IT DRY UNDER THE DRY SURFACE ...

the surface of my sand is dry 10 mintues after a rain storm.. and ALWAYS looks dry..

yet if i dig or kick down 2 inches.. i can tell more easily.. what the soil moisture is.. as compared to looking at the dry surface ...

how dry is the soil down where the roots are???

and i bet its not as dry as you think....

ken

It is definitely too dry here in NE Pa. I rototiled some ground I needed to level going down about 10 inches and bone dry. Have never seen such a dry winter here in the east.
I checked the hosta beds and see a number of hostas coming up about a dozen or so. We are supposed to get thunder storms Friday and rain on Saturday. Hopefully I do as it just doesn't seem normal to be watering in March but neither is 80 degree temperatures either. Really makes me wonder about the coming summer especially getting hit with two hurricanes last summer which was really unusual for this area.

Scott

I did a bit of hoeing today in an area I am prepping for fall planting - under a lilac, not maple. I use a shuffle-hoe and really bear down on it so I cut down to remove weeds to a depth of about 3". The soil is only barely moist enough to look dark, and what I have turned is bone dry in about 10 minutes. I haven't dug a deeper hole but will tommorrow and let you know what I find. My weather is VERY much like Franks and we have been really dry since last May.

My siver maples are flowering due to the high temperatures, but are far below normal this year. the only place where it is wet is where morning dew drips off of my roof on the north side of my house, not the south side.

Les

I did a bit of hoeing today...

I love reading things out of context....lol....Les, what ever you need to do to get by......in the garden.

Paul