PARAGOULD, Ark. (KAIT) – Spring planting season is underway, but a drought is making it harder to keep yards and gardens alive.
Neal Adams, owner of Adams Nursery in Paragould, said the region is experiencing conditions he has not seen in nearly four decades.
“This is my 37th spring in this business, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen us in a drought period like this, this early in the season,” Adams said.
The region is typically dealing with too much rain at this time of year. But the area is now in a significant drought as people head outside to plant gardens and prepare their lawns.
“It’s quite a contrast from last year. Everybody was trying to find a dry patch to plant a garden, this year it is very dry,” Adams said.
Adams said homeowners need to use more water and use it sooner than they think they need to.
“We have to water like it’s July or August, and that’s just unheard of for this time of year. We normally have a surplus of water, and we don’t have to start watering plants till June,” Adams said.
Wind is also making conditions worse.
“It dries things out faster. It dries our soil out faster. Also, as those new little tinder leaves are coming out, it really pulls the moisture out of those, especially when it’s out of the north like it is today,” Adams said.
Adams advised getting irrigation systems and garden hoses out now, especially for seeds or anything new in the ground.
“You can still carry out things just like we always have, it’s just you may have to pull those sprinkles out a little bit earlier to get your garden to sprout up this year. Definitely any newly planted tree or shrub you’re going to have to irrigate,” Adams said.
Adams said a newly planted plant could start dying in as little as three days without water under current conditions.
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