|
 Dry
weather tips and musings
By John
Fulton,
University of Illinois Extension
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[July 26, 2012]
We are going to have
trouble getting that new grass
seed established with little
moisture available and the high
temperatures. Normal fall
seeding times would begin in
about two weeks, but I would
recommend saving time and
dollars if rain doesn't come. If
you're in an area that hasn't
received moisture for about a
month or more, you might want to
consider watering with a quarter
of an inch or so to keep
existing grass roots and crowns
alive. This should be done on a
weekly basis. This won't green
up the grass, but will allow it
to green up when it does start
raining. The idea is to keep the
roots and crowns of the plants
from completely drying out. Once
this happens, recovery isn't
even an option. Then we are
looking at reseeding into
horrible conditions -- unless
Mother Nature begins smiling on
us. |
 Perennials
are also suffering during this
extended dry period. It is a
good idea to water perennials
(flowers, shrubs, trees, etc.)
with an inch of water a week.
You can use a sprinkler and
catch water in a can to tell how
much an inch is. As for using
the deep root feeders-waterers,
most roots that take up water
and nutrients are in the upper
foot of soil, so broadcast
applications with a sprinkler
are probably most effective and
easier to apply. A couple of
inches of mulch will also help
retain moisture and keep the
roots cooler.
The only things actively
growing in many lawns at this
time are called weeds. One of
the traditional weeds during dry
periods is plantain, and there
are two common types in our
area. Buckhorn plantain has
narrow leaves and a spiked seed
head. Broadleaf plantain has the
same type of seed head, but as
the name suggests, it has broad
leaves. As the only green areas
in some lawns, control with
2,4-D may be beneficial. That's
assuming you don't want the
weeds and the unsightly green
spots.
Dry weather doesn't bode well
for early tomatoes either. There
is a perennial problem termed
blossom-end rot, which causes a
leathery rot on the bottom of
the fruits. This is caused by a
calcium imbalance in the plant.
The calcium imbalance, in turn,
is usually caused by uneven
moisture supply to the plant. A
thorough watering and a deep
layer of mulch will usually help
to prevent this problem. This
year, I wouldn't bet on it
solving things -- but it will
improve your odds of getting
whole tomatoes.
On the
plus side, the warm nighttime
temperatures have halted the
progression of anthracnose and
other leaf spot fungi on our
shade trees. As mentioned, the
watering of perennials will go a
long way in assisting them
through the dry times, as well
as help them recover from
disease and insect problems.
[to
top of second column] |
Insect development
Insects continue to develop
well ahead of schedule. We are
running at least three weeks
ahead in most cases. This means
bagworm control is something for
next year's schedule. Japanese
beetles will begin winding down
about now. Remember, these are
emerging eggs laid last summer
and fall. Unless something
drastic happens, beetle number
should be greatly reduced next
year. This is due to poor egg
and larvae survival in
powder-dry soils. It's to the
point no self-respecting beetle
would even want to lay eggs in
most of the turf areas that
haven't received rain or water.
One insect of note the past
week or so is the green June
bug. These are large, iridescent
green beetles that also come
from a grub stage. Most often,
these beetles lay their eggs in
areas high in organic matter,
such as compost piles or mulched
flower beds. They really aren't
much of a pest but do sound like
bumblebees flying.
[By
JOHN FULTON,
University of Illinois Extension] |
