Plants wilting, lawns browning and trees shedding leaves prematurely all due to what? Heat and more heat. We can water till the cows come home but our plants will still be challenged by the extended heat.
When the soil gets too hot the insects retreat further into the ground. As the surface temperature rises and the moisture level drops roots begin to die. The only way to assist your gardens through this weather pattern is to manage your soul with some type of covering (organic is the only way to go). Old wood chips, double ground mulch, leaves, old grass or hay. These are some of the cheap and easy solutions for your gardens.
For your lawns, if you haven’t prepared with proper watering habits and balanced fertilizers the only way to get your lawn through tough times is compost (lightly raked over the top of your lawn) and deep watering (performed after nightfall and the dew has settled on your lawn).
If you want your property to look like a golf course and its surrounding gardens you will have to double, triple, or quadruple your budget for garden and lawn care. Material as in chemicals, water consumption, man hours and increased labor to maintain your trees, gardens and turf at the highest possible level. Most people don’t see the value and put up with some brown spots and a couple stressed out Hydrangeas.
What most people don’t consider is the overall process of preparing gardens and lawns for this difficult weather (extended heat). Most irrigation systems are not customized to manage and water both your gardens, trees and lawns. If you were lucky enough to have someone who really considered your overall water needs and budget, your other problem becomes who is going to change the timing and duration of your water needs based on the weather conditions. If not you then who? All of these options cost money unless you are willing to take on the responsibility and manage it yourself.
Time to make an appointment to take care of your property. Just like you brush your teeth, make your morning breakfast or put on your pants every day, you need to consider the weather and how it will effect your valuable lawn and gardens. Have a plan for what-ever the meteorologist sends you. No plan, expect to return home with possible disappointment when you pull into the driveway or go lounge out in the back yard. I don’t know about you but when I get home all I want to do is, well maybe we shouldn’t talk about what I want to do. There might be children reading my blog. But most people want to relax and enjoy their property.
So go out and consider making your life a little easier by hiring someone to manage it for you or become an avid lawn and garden manager for yourself. Every morning and every night their is so much more to look forward to as YOU know you have done what was needed to maintain the value of what surrounds your house.
Oh yeah. One other note, off topic. I have a 12 year old Weeping Mulberry on my property which I just pruned (it gets pruned between 5 and 10 times a year plus fertilized after the mid summer ornamental prune). I will take a picture of it tomorrow and post it on the web for all to see. Unfortunately I was a little impulsive and forgot to take a before picture. All you need to know is it looked like Cousin It from the Adams Family and now it doesn’t. You will see it.
Be well. Be strong. Be happy and lite up someone else after reading this. Call your Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, Wife, Girlfriend, Boyfriend or anyone who needs some demonstration of appreciation. FROM ME TO YOU, LOTS OF JOY.