In mid-July the Eureka Springs area has seen a string of days with temperatures around 100 degrees and no significant rain in six to seven weeks. Record breaking and rapid onset high temperatures were predicted for this week. Shallow wells and springs are drying up, as are stock watering ponds. One long-time resident said the heat now is the worst since the summer of 1980, the year Mount St. Helens erupted.
“There was light ash on the windshield every morning, and it got to 100 degrees or hotter on 34 days between the end of June and the end of August,” she said. “But it wasn’t as intense as this heat. This heat feels like the atmosphere is pulling a tarp over us, it feels like being locked in a shed or car too long. This feels more intense.”
Scientists studying climate change have predicted this extreme weather. This spring had more rainfall than normal, including thunderstorms that dropped several inches of rain in a matter of hours. Now the National Weather Service considers Northwest Arkansas to be in a moderate drought.
“It is usually a little drier this time of the year,” Michael Bowlan, meteorologist with the NWS in Tulsa, Okla., said. “That area of Arkansas has started to get into drought conditions. If it continues to be hot and dry, the drought will expand over time. It is not a fun pattern. We can get stuck in these patterns, and it takes something major to change it up.”
Heather Cross, co-owner of Bear Creek Nursery, said they are seeing or speaking to customers daily who are struggling to keep plants alive. Cross said losing even well-established plants is not uncommon in these conditions. “We tend to neglect the more established plants, focusing our attention on newer plantings,” she said.
She said watering is tricky and wilting does not always mean, “Water me!”
“Wilting is a plant’s natural reaction to the sun and extreme heat – it reduces surface area exposed to sunlight, helping the plant reduce water loss,” Cross said. “It is a good idea to check the soil around a wilting plant before watering, either with a moisture meter or the finger test. If the soil feels damp an inch or so down, no need to water.
“Morning watering is ideal and low-and-slow is a good mantra for watering. Most plants, especially trees and shrubs, benefit from a deeper watering from a small trickle whenever possible. Overhead watering in full sun, in the heat, is not ideal. Much of the water will evaporate before it has time to be beneficial. However, if a plant needs water, and it is in full sun, give it a drink at soil level, not overhead on the leaves.”
Potted plants may need to be watered multiple times per day. And Cross said container plants that are really struggling may benefit from being moved to shady areas during the hottest time of day. Adding a layer of mulch to flower beds helps prevent water loss from the soil through evaporation. She said mulch also helps reduce the number of weeds vying for water, and shade cloth can provide protection for in-ground plantings.
It is the kind of summer that can make gardeners rethink what they plant where. Some plants just won’t tolerate the heat in full sun no matter how much you water them. Cross said they offer several varieties that can really take the heat, even thrive in it. Those include lantana, geranium, zinnia, salvia, sedum, coneflower, rudbeckia, butterfly bush and abelia, just to name a few.
Cross said that thanks to their incredible staff, they are prepared for conditions like these. They work hard to ensure the plants are receiving the care they need, whether that be additional water, transplanting a root-bound plant to a bigger pot or relocating a plant that is struggling from too much sun. “When we get discouraged, and we do, we just try to focus on the beautiful blooms popping up everywhere and the pretty butterflies that love the heat,” she said.
Scott Miskiel, director of the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission, said the drought has had an impact. The city gardener is spending an average of six hours a day just watering the pocket parks. That is about twice what is normal.
“Keep in mind that some of our watering is done automatically with timed irrigation zones,” Miskiel said. “However, some areas of our parks do not have irrigation lines, and they cannot be added because of concrete walkways. We have not lost more than a few plants, though Planer Hill has suffered because the irrigation system was not functioning for several weeks, and a part had to be ordered to get it repaired. Watering by hand is just not adequate.”
The manager at Lake Leatherwood City Park is assessing the campsites and grassy areas around firepits and barbecues to make sure they are not too dry for fires. So far, a fire ban has not been instituted for areas designated for fires, but they are reassessing that on a day-to-day basis.
Carroll County is under a burn ban. Carroll County Ranger Freddie Wolfinbarger, Arkansas Forestry Division, said the county is definitely under a scare for fires right now.
“So far, so good,” Wolfinbarger said. “We haven’t had anything bad yet. I don’t think it will harm forest health long-term if it turns out to be like the drought seen in 2012. Unless it is already a weak tree that was dying anyhow, most of the trees should be all right. If anybody has any newly planted ones, I would keep them watered, though.”