Summer storms can be frustrating at times, drenching our lawn and gardens with buckets of water -- or bypassing our area and leaving us high and dry!
I spoke with Ashley Frasca, host of Green and Growing on 95.5 WSB on the best watering practices here in Metro Atlanta. Ashley recommends providing an inch of water per week for your lawn.
The garden could also use consistent water, but there are some pitfalls to bear in mind when hydrating the vegetables and flowers.
Q: What are some of the more common mistakes that Georgia growers make here in their gardens?
“A lot of times, in these hot summer months and into fall, we see a lot of disease. Whether it’s fungal or bacterial disease on plants -- a lot of that can be eliminated by proper watering techniques.”
“So not watering plants overhead -- whether you are thinking of a hanging basket, a bush, any kind of shrub that flowers -- watering at the base, that’s really where the water needs to go.”
“So you can knock off a lot of disease by proper watering techniques.”
“And also planting things too closely together -- that again is going to induce disease, and other issues. When the plants grow too closely together, there’s not enough space for the air movement, the air flow, for the plant to dry out, whether it’s from morning dew or from a rain shower.”
“So two of the most common mistakes, and easily fixable, too.”
Q: What is the best way to water from the side?
“You could do a watering can, or a watering hose, and sometimes -- for whatever reason you can’t get to the soil level, a lot of pots are able to wick up moisture. Every pot or container should have a drainage hole, so a lot of pots can wick up moisture with a tray underneath that has water in it - and it can wick it up through the bottom and up through the roots.”
Q: What kind of rule of thumb do you have for not planting too close?
“It depends on what you are planting. If you are planting little bedding plants, you can generally follow the label as far as the recommendations for spacing.”
“But when we are talking about a shrub or a hedge that is going to get a lot bigger, I would almost double or at least do one-and-a-half times what the label recommendation says the width is going to be.”
Q: I had to remove a magnolia tree on my property that a previous homeowner planted near my house. What other things should I look out for with regards to a poorly placed tree or shrubbery?
“With branches overhanging the gutters, you will have all kinds of problems and moisture retention there. Roots disrupting a sidewalk or home foundation -- so keep in mind the right plant for the right place.”
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