BRYAN, Texas — At "The Nursery" on Tabor Road in Bryan, you’ll find owner Ron Bolton working hard to nurture his native plants, many that have struggled to stay alive during the summer’s drought.
“It’s been probably one of the roughest summers I’ve had for quite a while," Bolton said.
"The last two winters were very drastic and recently we came into an extremely record-setting heat.”
Bolton has had to water his plants more than he needed just to make up for the lack of rain.
“When you get into dry situations like this, you have to apply something more that is not helping," Bolton said.
"I have to adjust the water, the pH is extremely high especially with high sodium — the more you are aggravating the problem.”
According to the USDA, growers like Bolton have had to delay planting many crops, in the hopes of getting more rain.
Overall, this past summer much of the state received less than two inches of rain.
As Bolton transitions from the summer to the fall growing season, Bolton says he’s found a new strategy for cool weather plants at his home.
“I have been having a real hard time getting my cool weather vegetable and herbs starts going, but thankfully my wife let me convert our guest room into my germination room, and I put in some grow lights and we keep the house ideally at 74 to 75 degrees," Bolton said.