Our Drought Worsens

As the map shows, New England slipped deeper into drought during August, tightening watering restrictions region-wide. As the growing season winds down, focus on watering remaining vegetables and perennials. Trees and shrubs planted this year or last should be watered during the fall because they may not yet have large root systems. In order to maximize root growth in the fall and minimize winter root injury, a 3- to 6-inch layer of mulch should be used around your trees, plants and shrubs. Evergreens that brown during the winter are evidence that they ran out of available water. As for your lawn, don’t water it. With cooler temperatures, it will green up on its own.