Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- July 31, 2007

Pennsylvania gardeners should have dry-weather strategies (:49)

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Suggested Intro:

SO FAR, IT'S BEEN A HOT, DRY SUMMER, AND RAINFALL LEVELS ARE DOWN IN MUCH OF THE STATE. SO A PENN STATE EXPERT REMINDS GARDENERS TO USE THEIR BEST DRY-WEATHER STRATEGIES IF THEY WANT THEIR LAWNS AND GARDENS TO SURVIVE. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:14) DURING DRY SPELLS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHICH PLANTS NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION. PENN STATE MASTER GARDENERS STATE COORDINATOR GINGER PRYOR SAYS THE RULE OF THUMB IS MOST TREES OR SHRUBS OLDER THAN ONE YEAR CAN SURVIVE AN EXTENDED DRY PERIOD WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE:

Pryor Actuality:
(:21) "BUT, IF YOU HAVE MORE SHALLOW-ROOTED SHRUBS, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE AZALEAS AND RHODODENDRONS, THEY'RE MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS. BECAUSE THEIR ROOTS ARE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT UP AT THE SURFACE AND THEY TAKE A LOT OF MIOISTURE TO SURVIVE. SO, ON THOSE TYPES OF SHRUBS, YOU MAY WANT TO WATER TWICE A WEEK WITH A DRIP HOSE - SOMETHING VERY SLOW."

(:13) PRYOR SAYS YOU SHOULD ONLY WATER WEEKLY, AND WATER DEEPLY - A SLOW TRICKLE THAT PENETRATES AT LEAST AN INCH INTO THE SOIL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM AT YOUR COUNTY PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE. I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

GARDENERS MUST RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF DROUGHT STRESS IN PLANTS (from the College of Agricultural Sciences news archive)

DROUGHT EMERGENCY TIPS FOR LAWNS AND PLANTINGS (from the College of Agricultural Sciences news archive)

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