We need rain BAAAD. I heard the corn crops are suffering in illinois and iowa, yet in Minnesota they have a bumper crop because they have had the needed rainfall. I know the farmers around here that have big irrigators have them on frequently. The farmers that don't, have shorter corn with curled ends.

i am stuck in the middle of wanting to sprinkle the garden every night and not wanting to run the well pump so much. i know my electric bill is going to be terrible this month due to the A/C running so much......trying to cut back on running the pump just to water the garden. We have had to water the pasture too where the goats have been as its turning brown now.

How is the rainfall and growing season going in your part of the country?

Yup. In some parts of the state (Iowa) they are 6" below average! Here in our area (best soil in the world..a glacier came thru thousands of years ago and left great soil in its' path) not so bad. The state has gotten rain but it is really spotty! All this means higher prices on lots of things! We almost never water the lawn but did put the sprinkler on the front yard this a.m. for awhile. We were hoping to prompt it to rain! But, it's only cloudy.

 Brutal 

grame:

 Brutal 

 

That describes it pretty well here, too.  This June is a tie for the driest June ever in Utah - officially, we have had a "trace" of water.

The utility bill was high this month, due to AC & water usage.  I figure that I can either pay more for the water to grow it myself, or pay more for it at the grocery store.  I prefer paying for the water to grow it myself, & we eat what we grow, but I also try to utilize ALL the water that comes out of that faucet, because I pay for every drop. I keep a gallon jug by the sink, & when I need hot water, I catch the gallon of water while it warms up, & that waters the blueberry plant by the front door, or the rose in the corner window bed, etc.I am considering using a dishpan for the dishes.  With just DH & I here, it seems a waste to use the dishwasher, & I know from past experience that I can wash the dishes in less water than it uses, & then toss the rinse water on the plants.

I have some areas that are barked, that I do not water at all. Keeps the weeds from growing, & decreases our total water useage. 

If they restrict water to water the lawns, I have no problem using my bathwater (grey water) for the lawn, &/or to keep the trees alive.  I mulch the garden deeply, & amazingly, it does not take as much water as the lawn does, so no problem there.

Kassy:

We almost never water the lawn but did put the sprinkler on the front yard this a.m. for awhile. We were hoping to prompt it to rain! But, it's only cloudy.

 

Maybe you should wash the car & leave it sitting out!

zohnerfarms:

Kassy:

We almost never water the lawn but did put the sprinkler on the front yard this a.m. for awhile. We were hoping to prompt it to rain! But, it's only cloudy.

 

Maybe you should wash the car & leave it sitting out!

Or hang laundry on the line...(sigh) that used to work for me!

Zohner...the bathwater idea reminds me.....does it take more water to shower or bathe?

When i have a tub full of leftover bath water (from myself not dh or ds or my ddog! They are tooo dirty) I dump as much as possible in the washing machine to start a load of laundry. But lately I shower mostly.

 It depends on the length of the shower & the depth in the tub! 

I use betweem 10-15 gallons of water in the tub - not very deep.  I know this, because a few summers ago when we had watering restrictions, I bailed out the tub to water the brown spots in the lawn & to keep the young trees that were not bearing yet alive.  When water is tight, I tend to "take a bath" 2 or 3 times a week.  The rest of the days, I "wash up" from the bathroom sink, using less than 2 gallons of water.  It helps balance out the water budget.

The bathroom with the tub is on a different level than the washing machine, but that is a good idea.

It's brutal here, too.   100-degree temps and we've had about 25 straight days without any rain ... though some areas did get a soaking today. '

Like Z ... I resuse as much water as possible ..  I keep a coffee container by the sink and usually get enough to water the potted herbs outside.  But our water bill is going to be nasty next month, since I have to water the veggie garden.

LWolfT:

But our water bill is going to be nasty next month, since I have to water the veggie garden.

 

Are you able to mulch the garden?  Mine uses LOTS less water when I do, & it keeps down the weeds, too.