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Rain Rain Go Away!

rain-rain-go-away

I just spent last week in severely drought affected California. While I was there, I visited 15 different large scale garden centers to get ideas to bring our customers in the Midwest better service and so forth. While I was gone, it rained back home nearly 7 inches. The storms last night (6/30/14), helped cap off the wettest June in 21 years according to Tom Skilling. Can we somehow send some of our excess rain to the west? Unfortunately, science has yet to figure that one out. I guess we should consider ourselves blessed that we have too much rain rather than not enough. Now, in my profession, I have to make sense of the rain and figure out how it affects our local landscapes and what people need to be on the lookout for.

What to Look For: How the Rain Affects Our Landscapes

Dewitt Stake Straight Tree Staking KitLeaning Trees

Trees that were planted in the last year or two that aren’t fully rooted in are at high risk from the high wind storms we just had for leaning and or shifting. The solution is a tree staking kit and possibly a bag of top soil to back fill any empty pockets around the root ball of the tree. You can find easy to use, do it yourself tree staking kits at either Alsip Home & Nursery location.

fungus_control__18158.1301950639.1280.1280Fungus in Lawns

Wet and cloudy conditions on a consistent basis are a breeding ground for fungus and mildew issues on plants. In lawns, you will start to see these fungal issues becoming prevalent. Summer Patch, Fusarium Blight, Dollar Spot, Copper Spot, Powdery Mildew, Red Thread and Rust to name a few. Jonathan Green brand Lawn Fungus Control is a systemic fungicide for both preventative and curative treatment. It comes in both a 15,000 sq. ft and a 5,000 sq. ft bag and is available at both Alsip Home & Nursery stores. We recommend you use this as a preventative now, even if you don’t see fungus as of yet. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment!

Copper Fungicide by BonideFungus in Landscapes and Gardens

For landscape plants, you will likely see blight, leaf spots, powdery mildew and more if you haven’t already. Copper Fungicide RTU by Bonide is your answer. This product is available at both Alsip Home & Nursery locations.

Iron Deficiencies in Lawn and and Landscape

Encap Fast Acting IronGreen Up Lawn Fertilizer by Jonathan GreenWith all of the rain, most, if not all of the nutrients in your soil has been leached through. You will start to see yellowing of leaves on trees such as birch and magnolia, as well as in your lawn grass. A simple application of Encap Fast Acting Iron (available at Alsip Nursery) or a “green up” type of lawn fertilizer, such as Green-Up by Jonathan Green will provide that boost of Nitrogen that your lawn needs to keep it’s healthy green appearance.

Weeds, Weeds, and more Weeds

Maize Weed Preventer by BonideWell, the weeds have been absolutely loving this rain. We know that there will be a big boom of weeds in the coming days and weeks. We prefer to suggest organic solutions first when possible. We at, Alsip Nursery carry MAIZE Weed Preventer which is a Corn Gluten based and all natural way to prevent weeds from growing. This works for both annual and perennial weeds.

Maintenance Tips

We know the rain will make the grass grow quickly, but we suggest staying off the lawn with your mower for an extra day or two while the lawn dries down some. If it is too soggy, you can create ruts and damage the lawn. Clean up damaged and fallen limbs and give clean cuts where possible with a sharp pair of pruners.

Finally, have a safe 4th of July weekend and God Bless America!

-Rich Christakes

CEO Alsip Home & Nursery/Kingsbury Acres Greenhouse
Indiana Accredited Horticulturist
Host, My Chicagoland Garden on WJOB

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