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High temps still remain for summer stricken gardens
Berenice Quirino/Staff Photo - Garden experts say gardeners should choose which plants are more expensive, and maintain those instead of the entire garden during the hot summer months.
By Andy Pawlinski, Staff Writer
MCKINNEY - The scalding summer has battle vested everyone and everything it encountered, including plants.
McKinney gardens have been losing some of their most beloved plants because of the record summer heat, but even though the picture may seem bleak, there is no need to throw in the towel yet.
Master Gardener Neil Sperry said one of the keys to maintaining a successful garden is what you choose to plant in the first place. Some gardeners are bringing plants in from the Northern U.S. and incorporate them in their garden, but they are dying due to the heat.
Plants from areas outside of Texas tend to have difficulty regardless of the weather, but the current summer conditions are making a heavier impact.
"Anytime you have plants from outside the are you are going to have some problems," Flint Ballantyne, president of Jurassic Lawn Care, said.
With strict water restrictions and the fear of high water bills, gardeners are having to choose between the cost of an inflated water bill or the price of losing some of their plants. Sperry said if the choice to take on a loss on the plants is made, gardeners should prioritize by value.
"If people are worried about using to much water, I would recommend prioritizing which plants are the greatest value and water accordingly," Sperry said. "Water the plants that have the greatest cost and forget about the less expensive plants like vegetables."
The watering technique implemented can also lead to a healthier garden. Sperry said a large difference can be made with your garden by just changing your watering habits.
"It is very important to water your plants with a deep soaking less often rather than light soaks frequently," Sperry said. "If you water deeply and less often you will be using the same amount of water by the end of the month as you would watering in a small amount more often, but the water will be used more efficiently."
For those that have difficulties judging their water usage, Sperry recommends purchasing a smart controller for your irrigation system. The smart controller will use weather data and moisture sensors to accurately water yards and gardens.
"It determines when to turn on and how much water to use," Sperry said.
Gardeners can also look at key symptoms of a plant's health to determine if the plant needs additional water.
"If there is wilting, a lot of times that shows that they need water," Ballantyne said. "Some plants have browning at the end of their leaves if they need more water."
Gauging the health of your garden takes experience. Many veteran gardeners develop an eye for their garden and can determine issues just by looking at their plants.
"Good gardeners learn to read their plants," Sperry said. "When they're out getting their newspaper or in the yard, a gardener can tell if their garden is in rough shape or not."
Many see their browning lawns and fear permanent damage, but Ballantyne said there is no perfectly green lawn in this weather.
"It is just so hot that it is creating some brown grass," Ballantyne said. "It is really hard to keep grass really green right now."
The temperatures might be making it hard to maintain some plants and lawns now, but Sperry said there is no reason to worry about the long term.
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