Your plants need water to survive hot summer weather. Check out our watering resources. Frankieleon photo.
Hot weather is predicted over the next week. Don’t forget to water!
Over the past few summers we have seen an increasing amount of drought stress in our clients’ landscapes. We are sad to see plants suffer from lack of water.
As our summers get hotter and drier, even plants that didn’t need watering in the past will need some supplemental water. This includes mature trees and shrubs. It may take some years before the full impact of drought stress shows on larger plants such as trees and shrubs.
If you don’t water in summer, you will eventually lose some of your cherished plants. You may want to save money by not watering. But if you lose the plants you invested money in, what have you gained?
Plants can’t thrive or even survive without water. If lack of water doesn’t kill them, drought stress will make them vulnerable to insects and diseases.
You may want to let your lawn go dormant in summer. Even if you don’t keep it green, it still needs occasional watering. If you let it go brown without any water at all, it will get thin and unhealthy. Weeds and moss are likely to take over thin spots.
Because we are concerned about watering, we have written a number of blog posts this year about the subject. We also have a number of videos about watering in our YouTube playlist. See watering resources below.
Weather statistics: hotter and drier
Your trees, shrubs, lawn and other plants are already parched from the hot and dry weather this spring. According to the Seattle Times, May 2018 was the warmest ever in Seattle. The median temperature was 61.1 degrees, and May 14 reached 88 degrees!
May also tied for the driest on record with just 0.12 inches of rain. The average is 1.94 inches. Seattle rainfall in June was only 0.63 inches, measured at SeaTac Airport, according to Seattle Weather Blog. The average is 1.57 inches. North Seattle got about average rainfall.
Watering resources: blog posts
Check out these posts for information about how and why to water.
- Smart watering: how much, when and how long to water
- Plants need water to survive and thrive
- Invest in watering for landscape dividends
- Summer lawn care: watering, mowing
- Watering will help manage insect problems
- Choose drought-tolerant plants and reduce time you spend watering
- Give your plant a good start: how to plant and water it
Watering resources: YouTube playlist
Our YouTube playlist on Watering Your Lawn and Garden has several videos on the basics of watering, watering systems, watering new plants and trees, and more.
- Watering 101: Create Strong and Healthy Plants
- A Good Start: How to Plant and Water a New Plant
- Tree Gators: How to Water a New Tree
- Water Timers: Make Your Watering Easier
- How Much Water? Rain Gauges, Sensors and Tuna Cans
- Watering Systems: Wands, Hoses and Sprinklers
- Choosing and Using Mulch
- Measuring One Inch of Water
- Natural Lawn Care: Smart Watering
Watering resources: other
- The Saving Water Partnership has loads of information on watering, including automatic systems,choosing and using drip irrigation and soaker hoses and more.
- Seattle Public Utilities has a guide on Smart Watering.
- Swanson’s Nursery has a great article on best watering practices.
