How to Save Money Watering Plants and Trees During Illinois’ Drought Conditions

Illinois is officially in drought, which is not typical for the month of June, so actions need to be taken now to help our trees and plants make it through these dry conditions.

Unseasonable June Weather in Illinois

June is typically a very active month for severe weather in Illinois, but not this year. As of June 13, 2023, the entire state of Illinois is officially in drought. Here's a look at the drought monitor from the US National Weather Service in Chicago on June 13, and I'm sure the map looks worse today.

At this moment it looks like Illinois' first chance for rain won't be until this Sunday (June 25) into Monday (June 26), which is a very bad thing for our farmers, plants, trees, and grass so we need to get those hoses out ASAP!

Money-Saving Ways to Water Plants and Trees

I don't know about you, but we pay an arm and leg for water where we live, so finding money-saving ways to water our trees and plants is a must-do right now. If your home doesn't have its own well, here's a great tip I found from St. Aubin Nursery in Kirkland, Illinois for watering trees during extremely dry conditions...

Now that we know using a soaker hose or slowly dripping water from a hose is an economical way to water our trees and bushes, what about our plants?

Tips For Helping Outdoor Plants Survive a Drought

My husband and I spent a lot of time planting flowers and beautifying our lawn at the end of May and early June, and just when they're all starting to grow bigger a dang drought hits. We've been watering our flowers daily and that takes a lot of water and time we don't always have...is there anything different we can do?

I did some Googling and found several articles that say watering deeply once a week is more effective than lightly watering every day to help annuals and perennials survive dry conditions. Also, if your flower beds aren't mulched, do that ASAP as it will help the soil retain water.

If you have a lot of flowers in pots throughout your yard, I came across an interesting article about bottom watering your plants. Basically, you'll just fill a large tub with water and then place your pots that have drainage holes in the bottom into the tub so that the water soaks into the plants from the bottom up. This method efficiently waters houseplants, so why wouldn't it work for outdoor plants as well?

Keep your fingers and toes crossed that the rain will return to Illinois in just a few days!