It's dry. The creeks are low near me.

I can't remember the exact numbers, but according the the NYTimes weather page last Sunday, normal precip for the last 30 days would have been something like 3". I think it said actual precip has only been about .72".

Last night, one of the local Phila. weathermen noted that the SE. PA and Southern Jersey area is about 2 to 3 inches below normal for this year.

Very dry is right.

I am tempted to start watering, but I am worried about getting everythign soggy then having it freeze.

THen again, we had temperate and WET in January, of course we're going to have cold and dry now. Harumph!

Alexa

Dry AND cold. I am going nuts, we had that taste of Spring a couple of weeks back (here in Reading anyway) and it has been down right cold since. I have serious (lack of ) spring fever. Grrr.

I actually broke down and watered the trees that I planted last fall (on the Southwest side of my yard).

I, too, have decided that this dry late Winter suggests that it is prudent to install soaker hoses in my vegetable garden before planting the first of my veggies (beans and peas).

I was out today digging 2 holes for some roses. I dug down about 20 inches or so and the ground was quite dry.

Just putting in some hellebores I bought in Virginia, and the ground is like dust. I carried out buckets of water to them as it's still too cold to turn on the underground pipes that surround the yard.

We drastically need about 3" of warm rain.

George

i'm just glad that it hasn't been windy for a while. seems like all of january thru early march was nonstop howling winds. i've never had such an easy time collecting kindling.

I've started watering.

The tree hydrangea that's in a dry-ish spot got a drink yesterday, and tomorrow I'm putting a gator bag on our precious big honeylocust tree that shades the terrace. And the new cedars by the driveway will to be watered, too...

What's a gator bag? Sounds intriguing.

A gator bag (eg. "Treegator") is a variably-sized weather-resistant vinyl water resevoir bag that you can setup around the base of or strap to the trunk of trees or shrubs (great for newly planted ones) to give them slow drip irrigation when you can't get a regular drip irrigation system or even a hose over to them. I bought a couple small ones for one of my sisters when she and her DH bought a new japanese maple a couple years ago. They later used them for a couple new conifer and fruit trees they got last year. These can be filled with a hose (the largest is 20 gallons) and the little drip valves around the base can be adjusted somewhat to vary the drip rate (eg., to empty in about 10 hours, etc). You just have to make sure that the valves don't get clogged, but they can be easily dismantled to clear them.

I noticed that almost all of the new street trees planted recently in downtown Philly have had these installed to help them get through their first year or two, particulary when it's dry like this.

Gator bags are great. A little expensive (about $20, I think). They do a slow, thorough job of watering trees.

I think they make them shaped for evergreens, too. I don't have one of those.

I started to water my roses today-----I've been spreading a lot of alfalfa and rose food so I wanted to get it into the soil. It is supposed to be warm the next few days.

thanks goodness we have a well.

Florence