(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jennifer Fairfield, owner of the Garden Mill, for the information in this story. Part two will publish tomorrow.)
August is a time for lots of gardening tasks, just not necessarily in the heat of the day.
Water
Water. Water. Water. And water. The high heat and general lack of rain mean plants are drying out quickly. This goes for everything – vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs – and grass, too.
Most plants need about an inch of water per week, in general, but with the temperatures as high as they have been, you may need to give them more, especially if your soil drains well. Clay soil tends to hold onto the moisture better, and mulch helps even more, but pay close attention to your plants to make sure they are getting the water they need. I say this from the point of view of someone who didn’t follow her own advice.
I planted two new redbud trees last fall, and one of them is not happy with me now. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping them watered, because I was using Tree Gators. However, I didn’t realize that one of the bags had gotten clogged with soil, and was not emptying.
Now all of the leaves on that tree are brown. The tree itself should be OK – I have been diligently keeping it watered ever since – but the stress placed on it because of the lack of water may mean that it doesn’t grow much this year and next and that I may not see very much in the way of flowers or leaves next spring.
The problem with trees not getting enough water is that the effects can sometimes take years to really show, especially in established trees. You may think your trees look fine now, but next year, and the following year, you may see signs that they were stressed by the lack of water.
Don’t think that, just because we get a thunderstorm once in a while, your plants are getting what they need in the way of water. I’ve been keeping a close eye on my rain gauge, and even though it seems like those storms produce a lot of rain, they really haven’t brought enough.
Container plants
Container plants need to be watered even more frequently than the ones planted in the ground. If they are under the cover of a porch or building overhang, they aren’t as likely to get the benefit of any rain we get.
On the other hand, if they are out in the open, the sun is baking them. Remember to give container plants a little food regularly too, to keep them looking good throughout the remainder of the season.
Deadheading
Keep deadheading the annual flowers in your container plantings as well as bedding plants to ensure continuous blooms. Perennials that bloom at this time of year should also generally be deadheaded regularly.
