The water doesn't soak in when the soil is very dry and the water can't penetrate. I get the same thing when its hot out and the soil is so dry. I water it and then water it again - the first round of watering will help the soil absorb more water (because it's not so dry) the next round.

We're having the same problem here.. we just water a little at a time and often, giving each place a chance to soak in and then going over it again and adding more. That's easy to do when you have a small garden though... not so when it's large.

ttfn
Cheryl.

Do you have clay soil? I water my garden every few days, but when it's hot, the first time the water is on the soil, it just pools on top. After a while, it will soak in, but it takes a bit for the soil to absorb the water.

I hope you all get a break from these high temperatures soon :)

Thanks for your help, gardeners. I followed your advice about watering and then going back and watering again and that is just what happened. It is now soaking in... just another strange weather issue!

the soil is compacted. Although the water is penetrating now, try to break it up and add some compost.