While we typically expect conditions this time of year to be hot and dry, it’s helpful to be reminded of a few summertime lawn and landscape tips.
Turfgrass can and will enter a dormant stage in which the leaves turn completely brown and stop growing due to the lack of water available for growth. Healthy plants can remain dormant for up to three weeks without any supplemental water applied to the lawn.
Some flowering shrubs will use all available water for blooming while their leaves may turn brown and eventually drop if no supplemental water is applied.
Landscape trees are even smart enough to drop their leaves if these hot, dry conditions persist the rest of the summer.
While some of us are getting a little much-needed rain, there are still parts of the greater Miami Valley area that need rainfall. Afternoon thunderstorms are helpful but quite often they are fast, short-lived and most of the water runs off without benefitting our plants.
If you can apply supplemental water, irrigate deep and infrequently. Try to soak the roots of your lawn and landscape plants with one-half inch of water twice a week…or hope that Mother Nature delivers the same soaking rains we had back in April and May of this year.
