MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Most of the Mid-South hasn’t seen rain in almost a month. Severe drought is killing plants and turning yards brown, even for people with the greenest of thumbs. There is a way to beat the heat and save your plants.
Plant expert, Terry Nance, says that lawns need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Mother Nature isn’t helping out much. The Mid-South only received 1.38” in all of June. It is best to water plants and grass in the morning from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. With soil being extremely dry, homeowners should water 4 to 6 inches down into the ground first and maintain moisture in the ground with another 1 to 2 inches per week.
Plants can give people clues as to what they need. When leaves turn a gray color, plants are thirsty. When leaves turn yellow, plants are hungry and need nutrition from fertilizer. Don’t water your plants during the afternoon in the heat of the day. Water droplets on blooms can bake in the sun and turn blooms brown. Also, more evaporation takes place in the afternoon. So, you will use more water in the afternoon than in the morning. Finally, don’t water in the late evening.
Terry Nance with Bayless Greenhouse says, “My rule of thumb is to never put your babies to bed wet. Never water late in the afternoon. All kinds of fungal diseases can happen.”
Nance also says that while you are trying to stay on top of the heat and dry conditions, remember to fertilize your lawn and plants as well. They will flourish in the heat if they have moisture and nutrients.
