Crazy wet year!

Wow! Here in Ohio we haven’t had to worry about watering this year. In June it rained every day for 3 straight weeks. The grass looks fine. But with some shrubs and trees it could be too wet. There’s not much you can do about that. But don’t relax too much as we enter late summer. Especially if we get back into normal hot, dry weather. Remember your newly planted ornamentals with a weekly watering as needed. Just look at your new plantings occasionally to see if anything looks dry. But looks may be deceiving. Hydrangeas can look floppy in hot sunlight even if the roots are moist. It’s best to feel around the root zone for moisture before watering. Sprinklers don’t always do the job. By watering the whole bed you can encourage weeds while failing to soak the root ball of the plant you are trying to water.

The lawn is best watered with a sprinkler, but the plants in beds should be watered individually with a slowly running hose. A deep soaking weekly is MUCH better than a daily dousing.

The cool wetness this year has also benefitted the fungal disease problems. Again, there’s not much you can do about this. Especially if you are looking for low maintenance. Who’s not? Fungicides can be sprayed but this is a weekly chore which might not be totally necessary. Most fungal diseases are seasonal, resulting in a few leaf spots or leaf drop. This problem will pass when the weather dries up.

In any case…………….enjoy the cool green summer we are having while it lasts!