By Nora Sirbaugh
The heat wave combined with low rainfall is a deadly combination for any living creature, plant or human. We need rain. On July 19, I was doing happy dances in the rain — we had three-tenths of an inch in 20 minutes. Not much, but having seen no rain since July 8, any rain is cause for celebration.
As we slide through this ghastly heat wave, I watch my river birch shed leaves in a mad effort to protect itself. Leaves, which are tremendous filters of the air and draw sunlight into plants for food, are enormous hazards in a period of sunny heat with very little water. Unable to return the favor with a supply of much-needed water, the roots cannot do their job. River birches, native to this area and accustomed to our erratic climate, have a safety feature — dump some of the leaves to conserve water. This isn’t available to all plants (or people)! Hydrangeas (think hydrate) are hanging limply and the flowers are hanging their heads and browning. Anyone with flower gardens will tell you that the perennials are displaying similar stress. Vegetable gardeners are hauling water to the garden and farmers are anxiously tracking the rain (or lack thereof). You may have noticed partially crisped leaves on trees and shrubs. Such leaf scorch is a common symptom of drought.
For those of us who love our tomatoes (and what self-respecting New Jerseyan doesn’t?), another indicator of the drought is the appearance of blossom-end rot in tomatoes. At the Extension office, we have had a fair number of cases appear. Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder, not a disease. It is easily identified as a brown, leathery rot developing on or near the blossom-end of the fruit. It starts with a dry brown lesion the size of a dime. In time, lesions often become covered with a black mold. It is caused by calcium deficiency, usually induced by fluctuations in the plant’s water supply. Because calcium is not a highly “mobile” element in the plant, even brief changes in the water supply can cause it. Droughty soil or damage to the roots from excessive or improper cultivation (severe root pruning) can restrict water intake, preventing the plants from getting the calcium that they need. Give your plants adequate water. Tomato plants need about 1.5 inches of water per week during fruiting. Extreme fluctuations in soil moisture can result in a greater incidence of blossom end rot.
Last fall I wrote that, as a Master Gardener who volunteers at the Extension Helpline here in Mercer County, I know that in the coming years, yes, years, we can expect many calls and visits concerning the dead and dying trees and shrubs. I am reminded of the old adage, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Known as the “woodies,” trees and shrubs quietly stress out while our lawns and flower beds crisp up in periods of drought. Because the effect of drought is so much more visually obvious to homeowners in the lawn and flower beds, they rush out to water these areas and neglect the woodies — the backbones of their landscapes. Drought can seriously stress a tree and make it vulnerable to diseases and wood-boring insects, which then are falsely blamed for the final decline of the tree. Healthy, vigorous trees can withstand some insect damage, but not drought-stressed ones.
Well, we have already seen some of this come to pass from last summer. Clients have come to the Extension office with photographs and branches of small ornamental trees with dead branches and crisped leaves. Last summer’s deadly heat wave and poor rainfall have taken their toll. We are again facing a similar crisis. Mercer County Horticulturist Barbara Bromley strongly urges homeowners to forget about their impatiens and water the trees. A half-inch of water every week will make all the difference between a dead tree in the coming season and a healthy one. How do you water a tree? Set your hose in the root zone of the tree in a slow trickle for an hour.
Consider your landscape, especially if you love your trees and shrubs. Let your lawn go dormant. It will brown up, but it won’t die — not if it has a healthy root system. It would take six plus weeks of absolutely no rain to kill your lawn. Deep and infrequent irrigation tends to cause grass roots to grow deeper into the soil, making the plants more drought- tolerant. Shallow and frequent waterings lead to shallow-rooted plants with less drought tolerance.
Consider carefully before using your hoses, especially if you live on a well. Husband water. We foolishly believe that turning on the tap gives us an endless supply — that is a dangerous assumption. Gardeners are very inventive on ways to save and recycle water in times of drought. Emptying kettles and vegetable cooking water into pots and buckets for use in the garden, installing rain barrels to the house, and setting out buckets on the patio and deck to capture any rain are some ways to get water for the trees. Rinse your summer fruits and vegetables over a big bowl and use the water in the yard. You can put a bucket in the shower to capture water while you wait for it to “heat up” for washing. Many also have been known to capture the rinse water from their washing machines in a dedicated garbage can — just move the machine’s hose to drain into it. And for those on municipal water supplies, think too of the financial savings in lower water usage and sewer bills.
Become water wise. It’s easy to track rainfall on your property. Inexpensive rain gauges can be obtained at garden centers, box stores and hardware stores. Put a couple on your property — one in front and one in back. Scrawl the amount on your calendar when it rains. That way you can know if there’s enough for your property’s needs. On average, New Jersey should have 3.5 inches of rain per month. As I write this, my property on the southern edge of Hopewell Township had had 1.8 inches since July 1. And with the nature of localized summer storms, many have had less. I feel very blessed to live in the northeast with its abundant resources and verdant landscape. I am mindful of those with less everyday — watching the news of massive dust storms in Arizona and deadly drought with its accompanying famine in Africa. Water is a precious commodity. Let’s conserve water and use it wisely.
Nora Sirbaugh is a member of the Hopewell Township Environmental Commission and a Master Gardener.
