WATERING
A hot and dry summer around Puget Sound - who would've thought it? We gardeners understand how dry it's been. It will take months of steady rains to re-saturate the ground and provide moisture of true value to plants. It's up to us to ensure that our plants are deeply and thoroughly watered this summer as we go into autumn - watering well even as late as Thanksgiving. A few rains in September do not do the job.
Soaker hoses are the best for trees and shrubs newly planted or drought stressed.
Most sprinkler irrigation systems run for less than an hour which is the minimum time needed for trees and shrubs to soak the ground deeply. Short and shallow watering harms the plants by enticing the roots upward to the top of the soils which dries out quickly on hot days. Slow deep watering draws the roots down into cooler and moister soils. Perennials, annuals and lawns will survive on daily short timed watering, though deep soakings are best for all plants.