While all of this record rainfall has been great for most plants and certainly for our irrigation bills (or lack thereof) the extra rain brings some extra challenges as well.
Stop bugging me: Not only are ants and other insects seeking higher ground and drier habitats, the abundance of green everywhere means an abundance of pests, too. Look for a record year for chiggers in our lawns and play areas, spider mites in our trees, flowers and shrubs and other nasties that take away from enjoying our outdoor living. If you’re not already on our schedule for a pest control application, please contact us and get these unwelcome guests under control – before they move their party indoors.
Fungus among us: Many of us enjoy mushrooms on salads and elsewhere, but not so much in our lawns and landscape beds. Even worse though are the fast-spreading turf fungi that create ugly spots in our lawns. Constantly wet turf combined with hot, humid days are a perfect recipe for dollar spot, brown patch and more. These need to be treated at the first sign to avoid spreading or we can help you take a more proactive approach with preventative systemic treatments.
Too wet to mow: If you mow your own lawn, be careful not to let the grass get too tall (as tempting as the wet grass excuse can be sometimes!) Cutting grass that’s too tall means cutting it relatively lower on the grass stem, which can make your grass significantly more vulnerable to disease and other stresses. Try to never cut-off more than the top 1/3 of the grass blade.
The sun will come out, tomorrow: Eventually the rains will stop. When they do, realize that lazy root systems are not very deep now given all the water at the surface. Let your turf dry out thoroughly before turning your irrigation system back on. This will encourage the roots to go deeper where they belong.
If the recent rains have brought challenges to your outdoor environment, or if you have questions or concerns, as always we are here to help.
