Note: The Garden Almanac is shown here because it cannot be included in today's newspaper's Sunday Best Print section.
Drought: According to the US Drought Observatory (https://d.
Grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and softgrass are dormant in dry weather and can survive 60 or more days without rain, especially when in partial shade and still alive. Grasses that do not have a lot of foot traffic are more drought tolerant than grasses that have a lot of foot traffic. If a lawn in clay soil goes without access to water for more than 70 days, it will need half an inch of water per week to survive, and in sandy soil it will need an inch of water. Don't water more than that or you risk going dormant, which is not recommended in prolonged dry conditions. You want to water just enough to keep the grass crowns alive.
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Most people know that it's a good idea to give plants planted in the last 3 years an extra 1 inch of water per week when dry. If you're using a sprayer (which isn't always the most effective method), you can put empty tuna or cat food in a can to gauge when it reaches one inch.
Not everyone knows that it's also a good idea to water mature trees and shrubs during severe drought. Mature trees and evergreens may show no damage this year, but may show drought damage on stems and branches the following season. Drought stress can make trees more susceptible to diseases and insects, such as chestnut moths, IPS beetles, and other insects that attack stressed trees. The formula for mature trees is ideal for watering 10 gallons per bush. To measure its thickness, you can measure around the tree about 4 feet above the ground.
For a webinar on proper watering, visit the Wisconsin Horticulture website at https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/ and look for “webinar” in the list of upcoming programs. Scroll down the page and there is a video archive for 2022 There you will find our irrigation webinar.
- Lisa Johnson, UW Dane County Horticulture Instructor
