Residential rain gardens work with nature to create beautiful solutions to stormwater management. (Photo courtesy of water.epa.gov)
Only a few weeks ago, long-range weather forecasts were calling for another hot, drier-than-usual summer in eastern Missouri. Then, April’s showers arrived and kept coming until the area’s rivers – not that long ago at extremely low levels – rose above flood stage.
So, what’s it going to be? Another hot, drought-plagued summer? Or will homeowners in the West County area be seeking plans for the proverbial ark instead of figuring out how to keep their lawns, shrubs and trees alive when temperatures climb and everything dries up?
The best answer, according to Nathan Brandt, horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension in St. Louis County, is “both.”
“Given the weather patterns in our area, chances are pretty good that homeowners will need to deal with both types of conditions during the growing season,” he said. “They’ll need to be aware of what’s going on and what to look for in order to manage the consequences successfully.”
Pat Quinan, Missouri Extension climatologist, agreed.
“I don’t go out on a limb with forecasts,” he said. “No one knows for sure what’s coming and certainly no one forecast the magnitude of the adverse conditions that arose last year.”
Mark Grueber, urban and community forester with the Missouri Conservation Department, noted, “I liken yard care with preventive maintenance on a car. You don’t always know what situations may come up so you keep both – your car and your yard – in the kind of shape where they are able to deal with whatever conditions arise.”
(Illustration courtesy of watershedcouncil.org)
Spring rains won’t last forever
Looking ahead to typical St. Louis summer heat or worse, last year’s extreme conditions, Grueber and Brandt described a number of different scenarios affecting both lawns and plants and how to deal with them.
Trees and shrubs don’t require as close attention as lawns because they have bigger root systems and aren’t stressed as quickly in hot, dry weather, Brant observed. When leaves on trees and shrubs begin turning brown around the edges or start to curl up at the end of the day and fail to recover their normal shape by the next morning, they need water. A good watering once or twice a month usually is all that’s required in hot, dry weather.
One problem with some irrigation systems is that they are set to water the lawn, trees and plants the same way at the same time, Brandt said. “The end result is that nothing receives the optimal amount of moisture.”
Brandt and Grueber strongly agree that the most effective watering is the kind that encourages lawns and plants to root deeply where they can absorb moisture from a greater area.
(Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden)
“My advice to people with irrigation systems is to turn them off,” Grueber asserted. “All too often the irrigation systems are set to provide water too often and not in enough volume to produce deep rooting.”
Grueber said homeowners with irrigation systems probably suffered more damage to their yards and plants last year than did those who watered using “manual” equipment such as hose-end sprinklers or soaker-type hoses.
“Things that were shallow-rooted went quickly with the kind of conditions we had last year,” he said.
Despite Grueber’s advice, some studies have shown the typical homeowner applies as much as 2.5 times the amount of water needed for turf growth when using hose-end sprinklers, so no method is guaranteed to be foolproof.
To remain green and growing actively, lawns generally require one to 1.5 inches of water weekly, either from rainfall or watering, Brandt noted. Tall fescue requires less water than Kentucky bluegrass, while zoysia grass needs even less.
Extended periods of hot, dry, windy conditions can stress lawns quickly. Brandt said lawns need water when they turn a gray-green color and when footprints remain in the lawn for several hours instead of the blades quickly returning to an upright position.
“If you have any doubt about the moisture level in your yard, push a screwdriver into the ground,” Brandt suggested. “It should go in easily 5 to 6 inches. If it doesn’t, you haven’t got the amount of moisture you need deep enough.”
(Illustration courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden)
Water management – a tricky balance
“Adequate moisture” is a key ingredient in keeping plants healthy, Grueber said, but the definition of “adequate” varies according to plant and soil types.
“Know your trees’ requirements and the kind of soil they are in,” he urged.
Information is available from a number of reliable sources on these and other lawn and plant care issues.
Trying to gauge the adequacy of watering by measuring how long a hose-fed system or irrigation equipment is on presents another set of issues, Brandt reminded.
“Every delivery system is different. Water pressure is a big variable and can change on a day-to-day or even an hourly basis,” he said. “Sprinklers vary in the amount of water they deliver, too. The type of heads used in an irrigation system also can apply differing amounts.”
According to Missouri Extension, the best time to water a lawn is from 6-8 a.m. Water pressure generally is highest then and winds usually are more calm and less likely to disrupt the water application pattern. Water lost by evaporation also is much lower than when temperatures rise.
Early-morning watering also lessens the chance that turf diseases will develop due to moisture remaining on the grass for extended periods.
As for determining how your landscape has benefited from Mother Nature’s own moisture, nothing beats a rain gauge.
Available at most nurseries and in lawn and garden departments at big box stores, the measuring device should be mounted where it’s not covered or protected by a roof overhang, other structures or trees. Gauges usually provide appropriate installation instructions.
Officially reported rainfall amounts are fine – for those specific locations. But the amount of rain that comes down even a short distance away can and does vary, often by significant amounts. Therefore, it’s best to rely on your own gauge to determine how much moisture your yard receives and what, if any, additional water is required for your lawn and plantings.
For all kinds of weather, consider using ‘rainscape’ techniques
Given the amount of rainfall this spring, Brandt predicts it will be some time before established lawns and other plants will need added moisture this year.
As with most everything else, there also can be too much of a good thing and recent rainfall amounts have created problems of their own.
“Too much moisture can be harmful to plants and lawns, especially if the soil is the kind that doesn’t drain well,” Brandt said.
The heavy clay soils in West County provide a good example.
Perhaps more important is the fact that drainage problems around any home can lead to problems inside the dwelling. If gutters are overflowing, chances are downspouts are clogged and need to be cleared so excess water is directed away from the home and planted areas.
(Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden)
“Many plants don’t like ‘wet feet’ and even lawns can suffer if too much water collects too often,” Brandt continued. “But there are effective ways to deal with this kind of problem.”
Rain gardens or “rainscapes” are one attractive and environmentally friendly solution, he said. Brandt noted that Missouri Extension soon will complete a website (showmeraingardens.com) with information on how to establish a rain garden and with what plantings. The existing site already provides a variety of details.
“Rain gardens offer a way to work water into the soil naturally to avoid runoff and help prevent erosion,” Brandt explained. “They may not be as formal-looking as other garden areas, but they can be made very attractive – certainly much better than just grass.
“There are lots of plants that like and do well with ‘wet feet,’ and it’s just a question of working them in together.”
Additional benefits:
• Rain gardens reduce pollution in lakes, rivers and streams.
• Rain gardens are helpful in recharging groundwater.
• Rainwater remains on the homeowner’s property where it naturally belongs.
• Native habitat is created, attracting wildlife and butterflies.
Nearly 70 percent of the pollution in our surface waters gets there through stormwater runoff, according to studies by the Environmental Protection Agency. About 50 percent of that pollution is chemical pollution from products used in yard care, household activities, and from our yard waste.
Rainscaping options run the gamut from something as simple as installing a rain barrel to planting a rain garden, amending soil, and /or replacing lawn grass with trees, shrubs and low-maintenance ground cover.
The RainScaping Guide on the Missouri Botanical Garden site (mobot.org) can help landowners determine which sustainable landscaping options are right for their sites. The guide can be accessed by clicking on the “At Home” link under the “Sustainability Conservation” tab.
The guide also offers advice on designing and building a rain garden, selecting plants and choosing landscape alternatives.
When choosing plants, the guide points out that “an aesthetically pleasing, low-maintenance landscape can be attained using a plant palette of regionally native plants.”
Native plants, it suggests, are well-adapted to local climate and soils as well as fluctuations in rainfall, beautiful, reliably hardy and enhance much-needed biodiversity while allowing for more opportunities to observe nature.
Good news, bad news
The bad news is that the types and scope of problems West County homeowners face in keeping their plants, trees and shrubs healthy and growing are numerous, to say the least.
The good news is reliable sources of information do exist on how to address those problems.
A quick check of the Missouri Extension Service website revealed a host of informational and how-to-do-it guides ranging from home lawn watering and irrigating trees and shrubs during summer drought to caring for flooded lawns. Simply go to extension.missouri.edu and click on “Lawn and Garden” for unbiased, research-oriented information on questions and issues you want to address.
Missouriconservation.org is a website that also provides information and suggestions on a host of problems and situations. Just list your question in the search box and go from there.
Surfing the Missouri Botanical Garden website at missouribotanicalgarden.org is another way of finding information from experts. The garden also offers a variety of classes and a list of native plants that can tolerate eastern Missouri’s unpredictable and ever-changing weather.
No comments
Be the first one to leave a comment.
Post a Comment
Click here to cancel reply.
