West Virginia drought continues to kill plants, lawns

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The summer-long drought is wreaking havoc on homeowners’ plants and lawns.

This summer has seen temperatures 5 degrees higher than average. Paired with two fewer inches of rain than usual for the year, and a brutal July where West Virginia saw 3.6 fewer inches of rain than the monthly average, homeowners are having difficulty keeping their plants alive and their yards green.

13 News spoke with Nathan Wills, the owner of Town and Country Supply in Nitro, who said it’s been decades since he’s seen this brutal.

“I’ve been in the business for 50 years. It’s probably been a good 30 years since I’ve seen dry conditions like this,” said Wills.

Wills said that it’s best to water your lawn in the early hours of the morning, before hitting peak temperatures. This will ensure that the water reaches the soil and can provide nourishment for the grass.

Wills also had some advice for keeping your plants alive.

“If you’re going to water with water from the spicket, run it into a bucket or a tub and let it sit for 24 hours. That gives chlorine time to get out of it so the plant actually gets some value from the water,” said Wills.

Brian Combs is a homeowner in Nitro, who grows tomatoes over the summer. But this year, he’s found his harvest hasn’t been strong.

“I’ve never seen it this hot for this amount of time. I’ve been watering with tap water but I think because of the rain it’s just not getting the nutrients it should. I think the crop is not doing as good, nowhere near what it has been,” said Combs.

While there was a bit of rain that moved through the region today, Wills says that there would have to be a slow, moving rain that lasts multiple days to revive lawns.

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