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Summer care and a little pre-planning goes a long way.

Written by horticulture  |  19. July 2001

Summer is upon us and so is the heat, remember that your plants require more water than your lawn does. While your lawn will survive with 1 inch of water 2 times a week, your plants will need up to 3 times that amount. Most sprinkler systems are set up to water your lawn, and unless you have a drip irrigation system installed in your beds, your plants are not receiving the proper watering. If your sprinklers shoot into your beds and hit the foliage, most of the water will evaporate before it reaches the soil, and if they are shhoting into the beds themselves, you could be contributing to compaction of the soil. Proper mulching of beds is important as well to maintain proper moisture levels in the soil. If you are planning to do any fall planting, take the time to learn about the plants that you want to install. A great example of not pre-planning is planting a flowering dogwood in a sunny area (which is commonly done, for whatever reason). Dogwoods, rhododendrons and azaleas (to name a few) are shade loving plants. If they are planted in full sun, they are more stressed and are more likely to have insect and disease problems. Proper organics in the soils will also help reduce insect and disease problems by strengthening the plants. Composting the beds will help to introduce organics back into the soil. If you have any questions or if you need advice, feel free to contact me at my office 631-691-2381 or by E-mail at aplantdoctor@hotmail.com.

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