Drought Takes Its Toll On Northeast Trees And Lawns

As I sit on my front porch during the first weekend of September there’s the gentlest of breezes. In fact, it’s so gentle that it’s difficult to feel, but there’s enough of a rustle to free the turning leaves atop my tallest and oldest maple trees to bring down a soft flutter of yellow and orange leaves. In September?

Our summer drought is to blame, and we’re going to see the results of this drought well into next year. Yes, we’ll get some rain, but not enough to catch up and not enough to undo the damage that we’ve witnessed and are witnessing. A reader writes that her well is going dry, her lawn appears to be dead and she can no longer choose between her lawn and her well. No more lawn watering.

The fall foliage show in the Catskills and Berkshires is already underway. We originally thought that the drought would result in a very vivid display but never considered that it would be four to six weeks early. In some areas trees on mountain peaks and ridges, where the soil is thin and rocky, have totally defoliated.

What’s making this even worse is the unpredictability of the rain. In the final days of August a cold front moved across the Northeast. The rain along the front moved north to south with little west to east movement. At our mountain house we had nearly two inches of rain. Long Island had but a trace as the sea breeze along the coast forced the rain to stay north of the Connecticut shoreline.

For gardeners, it’s time to take a few minutes and consider the fall planting season. What to do now and what to expect going forward? Damage has been done. Some of the results of the drought, such as the effect on stressed and older trees and shrubs, may not show up until next summer when an apparently healthy tree drops its leaves and dies. And while we may be under water restrictions with wells running very short on water, you can reseed your lawn and most lawns may even recover — but there is real risk.

If you did any planting of trees and shrubs this year it’s going to be critical to keep them watered. Don’t sprinkle them with your hose and get the leaves wet but give them weekly deep waterings if we don’t have an inch or more of rain. Make sure the soil ring around the plantings has a light mulch. The mulch helps retain the moisture and keep the soil cooler. As foliage drops you can reduce your watering but keep in mind that the roots will continue to grow and need moisture well into November and possibly December.

We’re also approaching prime planting time (October) for spring-flowering bulbs. These bulbs need a cool or cooling soil to initiate root stimulation, and it’s these roots that are critical to the perennial bulbs. If the soil remains dry where you plant these bulbs there may be some initial root growth but without adequate soil moisture the roots will stop growing and your display next spring may be lackluster or have no luster at all. I wouldn’t do mass plantings this year. Remember, the soil is very dry and it will take quite a bit of rain to allow our garden areas to recover.

I’ve decided not to do my annual overseeding of my lawn, which, by the way, looks awful. I’ve overseeded only one long thin strip where the water line was replaced in the front of the house out to the main. They used a very light soil to refill the trench and I can rely on this 2-foot-wide-by-60-foot-long swath to brown out whenever we have droughty summers.

The other issue with lawn seeding this fall is the obvious lack of rain. Seed put down may stay viable through the fall and not germinate, but it may then germinate in the spring. The problem there is that if any preemergent herbicides are used, for let’s say crabgrass, that herbicide will also stop your grass seed from ever germinating. Weigh the risks and the cost.

Your fruit crops, such as apples and pears, may also be suffering as a result of the drought. If these trees haven’t been irrigated expect the fruits to be much smaller but sweeter. I’ve looked at the early harvests of apples from the huge orchards in the lower Hudson Valley, and those that are irrigated seem to have done very well.

The drought may also be affecting your compost pile. The composting process requires moisture to keep the microorganisms alive. These organisms are critical in the composting process and excessive dryness can stop the process and may stop your compost from cooking and “working.” Every time you turn you compost check to see if it’s moist or dry. When it dries out or gets close, slowly add water. Don’t flood the pile or row as this can be just as bad as no water at all. Use a soaker hose to add moisture but monitor the pile so it doesn’t get too wet. Check again when you turn it again. The goal is 50 to 60 percent moisture content throughout the pile. The compost should be warm and damp to the touch.

There is also the danger of spontaneous combustion in a compost pile where the moisture is not properly regulated. Without enough water the pile can overheat with what little moisture is left, and a fire can start.

I’ve read some recommendations that fertilizer use should be reduced or eliminated during a drought. The theory is simple: Feeding plants makes them grow more and more vigorously and this takes up much more water. Does this mean no fall feeding of lawns? Stay tuned.

One thing that I have learned from the drought is that I need soaker hoses in my long border gardens. I imagine that my water bill this summer will be at least triple from what it’s been in other summers. If I had laid soaker hoses and set them up with the proper filters and controls I could have used 50 to 75 percent less water. Yes, the soakers won’t be cheap and I’ll have to think through the layout, but the soakers should last for several years and the reduction in water usage should be the payback.

I was asked to look at a planting of Viburnums that was done two years ago. The property owner had noticed that the foliage was being eaten “by something.” Sure enough the culprit, the viburnum leaf beetle, was easy to find as were the larvae. And yes, the beetle is an invasive species from Europe. With no other Viburnums around I can only surmise that the beetles came with the plants from the nursery. Check yours and look for the feeding holes that can be a quarter- to a half-inch in diameter. Read this also as there are viburnum varieties that should be avoided: https://bit.ly/3D1t4RR.

The beetles can easily be managed depending on your approach. For the purists, they can simply be picked off — both the larvae and the adults. For those wanting to use organics there are several materials including Spinosad, and there are chemical controls as well. Remember, go after the target; the goal is not to kill every insect on the property.

I’ve also noticed a large population of sod webworm moths in lawns. You’re most likely to notice the moths late in the day toward dusk as you walk around your lawn. The moths are small, tan to nearly white in color and short fliers. The moths will lay eggs, which will turn into webworms or caterpillars that eat the grass plants. There are effective organic controls such as Bt, which can be applied with a hose-end sprayer. There are also other organic and chemical controls, but again, the target is the sod webworm and not every living organism in your lawn.

A gardening magazine recently ran an article on Fritillarias. These are mostly spring-flowering bulbs with several blooming very early in the spring with dazzling displays. They also have a scent that is a very effective deer repellent. The downside, and not mentioned in the article, is that some frits, like F. imperialis, are the alternate host for the dreaded scarlet lily beetle. I became rudely aware of this last spring and freaked out due to my large collection of hardy lilies.

If you want to grow frits, and I think you should, remember that only the few earliest varieties are host to the lily beetle while the other species are not. Still want to grow F. imperialis? Keep them far from any lily plantings and spray the frits with neem oil, which will be a beetle deterrent. Keep growing.