Drought Alert Summer 2018
As you may haved heard, July 2018 was the driest month in 77 years in the Chicagoland’s history.
Tony Fulmer, Chalet Horticulture Officer, has put together a must-do list in order to address the drought and to ensure that your plants remain healthy.
Tony Fulmer, Chalet Horticulture Officer, has put together a must-do list in order to address the drought and to ensure that your plants remain healthy.
Focus watering efforts on your newest plants. That includes anything that was planted this year, and even larger trees and shrubs that were planted last year. Whether watering by hand (my preferred method) or putting the hose by the plant and letting it trickle, water deeply. Make sure the entire root ball is watered.
Irrigation systems are wonderful for lawns, and shallow –rooted annuals and perennials. Trees and shrubs have much deeper root systems. As above, if you have newer plants protect your investment and water those individually.
Regardless of your preferred water ing method it’s always best to water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep rooting.
Mulch is great insurance. Plants that are mulched don’t require as much watering (less surface evaporation) and soil temps stay cooler than bare soil, protecting shallow roots from baking.