PEMBERVILLE, OH (WTOL) - Instead of fresh flowers and green grass, wilting plants and brown lawns are the more common sights in our area because of the ongoing heat.
Experts at North Branch Nursery in Pemberville say a standard rule of thumb for taking care of your plants is if you see them starting to droop or look unhealthy, go ahead and give them a nice shot of water.
Most important, people should water either early in the morning or late in the evening. Watering plants during the heat of the day can cause more bad than good.
"What you're going to notice are water droplets acting like a magnifying glass. They can potentially burn holes under your leaf or a scorch pattern on them," says Phil Cogar of North Branch Nursery.
People should find a middle ground when watering their plants. If plants are too dry, they will attract insects or diseases, but if they are watered too much, the roots will rot.
"As you look at your plants you can tell the leaves are nice and full, not wilting off. What you want to do is pull the soil back a couple of inches around the roots and see if it's moist in there" says Mr. Cogar.
Brown and burned out lawns are normal this time of year because of the scorching heat and previously dry conditions.
"By shutting down the top portion of the plant, it goes brown but the roots breathe and are viable and growing. So they'll hold until the rain comes back," says Rob McCartney, landscape consultant. "The best time to water is not in the evening. You want to water very early in the morning," continues McCartney.
Until Mother Nature resumes the rain, these timely tips can help save lawns.
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