Tough Choices in Times of Drought

Between work at the garden center and home, I feel like the water wand is permanently attached to my hand. We are experiencing severe drought conditions here in the Midwest and that means we have tough choices to make. If you have to choose between lawn and plants for watering– choose plants.

My lawn (pictured above) has not been mown since late May. It simply has not rained enough for it to grow. Although it looks awful, I’m not too concerned about it. It’s actually gone into dormancy and can stay this way for some time before any irreversible damage* is done. On the other hand, flowers and plants will die off without regular watering. This includes trees and shrubs!

Here are a couple of good articles on watering and dealing with drought: 

Learn to Water Well

The Top 3 Rules for Tree Care

Drought Could Limit Garden Plants’ Development Next Year

If you have tips or techniques you’d like to share on dealing with drought, leave them in the comments section. We can all benefit from each other’s gardening experience.

*Note: If you have recently installed sod or seeded a lawn, you must water it until it is fully established.