What to Do About that Brown Lawn

The summer heat and water bans were tough on everyone’s lawns; yours likely turned brown. If your lawn was healthy before the drought, you are best off to leave your lawn be. Grass is a hardy, cool-weather perennial, and it will come back with rain and falling temperatures. Just pull crabgrass and other obvious weeds before they set seed. But, if your lawn was already in rough shape, it may be time to renovate. Renovation may be as simple as reseeding bare spots; or as comprehensive as killing all vegetation, followed by reseeding the entire area. Cooler temperatures and ample rainfall in mid-September provide favorable growing conditions for new seedlings and for grass to become established. Always get a soil test first and amend the soil before seeding, being sure to correct pH and nutrient deficiencies as recommended by the soil test results. And, if you found that you can live without a lawn, consider planting native perennials, shrubs or trees. They need less maintenance and once established, less water. 

 

Too Many Vegetables?

If your town has a food cupboard or a senior center that takes fresh food, contact them to see if they would like your overflow. Chances are, their response will be an enthusiastic ‘yes’.

 

Save Our Monarchs

Some very nasty weeds are coming into seed at this time of year. Swallowwort is a relative of milkweed and often confuses monarchs looking to lay their eggs. While milkweed both feeds and acts as nursery for monarch butterflies, swallowwort is a death trap. Eggs laid on that plant will die shortly after hatching when they feed on the toxic leaves. If you see the plants in bloom (photos of each) or with seed pods, cut down and bag it and send it to the trash. Mark the spot and next year start early mowing or cutting it down as it emerges. If you keep at it, it will eventually die.

 

 

Begin Harvesting Herbs

Begin harvesting herbs for drying on sunny days. Cut herbs in the morning after any dew has dried off for maximum freshness. Dry the herbs where they get good air circulation but out of direct sunlight. Place the dried leaves or seeds in sealed containers to maximize freshness.

 

Prioritize Your Watering

Water your vegetable garden: it contains the annuals that are feeding you and your family so it should top your list. Most towns exempt vegetable gardens from watering bans so long as all watering is done by hand, If it is allowed, water new trees, shrubs and perennials. They lack an established root systems and need the water you can give them now. Now is not the time to fertilize your lawn, trees or shrubs. Fertilize in the fall if we get sufficient rain.

 

Drought Worsens

It’s official now: it is dry, dry, dry. Much of New England is classified as being in a severe drought, with no relief in sight. What does a gardener do? First, respect watering bans. Towns are worried about having enough water for people –to drink, cook, shower and flush. Minimize your home water use any way you can. When you water outside, water early in the day when the air is coolest to lose the least to evaporation. Don’t water at night when water left on plant leaves can promote fungus diseases.