I am gardening in a Texas/Okla border county in the worst drought on record. Add to the drought with 36 days of 100 + weather since June. The prediction is no relief in site.
The soil is pure river sand amended with some biosludge compost that is supposed to be low in nitrogen. The weeds, stinging nettle, copperheads, mutated giant grasshoppers, and native plants have taken over my formerly fantastic 1/2 acre iris bed. The grasshopper have eaten the foliage to a raggedy about 1/3 of what it should be. The heat has been so bad many have dried up so I started sprinkling with overhead water. Water does not stand in the hot sands. I fertilized in the early spring with pelleted 9-24-24
In the very early mornings I am trying to get out early to weed a bit. I am finding some rot on the ones that haven't dried up and amputating & sprinkling the rhizome with Comet cleanser.....any advice other than giving up?
