GHOSTS OF SEASONS PAST

GH GHOS OSTS TS OF OF SEASO SEASONS PAST

As I sit back with a cup of coffee to brainstorm about ideas for this article, the usual thoughts of “what to plan for” and “new for 2022” pop in my head. But after the fourth cup (we have really good coffee here at WN), I start thinking about what this PAST season afforded us. Why should we forget all we learned the past growing season and just blindly dive into the next year? There were so many ups and downs in 2021 that we can learn from and head into 2022 armed with education and a hefty to-do list … as well as a really, really long plant wish list! And the one thing that kept coming up in ’21 was rain. A lack thereof, actually. April and May came in and stayed like a lion. Those two months were some of the driest months we’ve ever recorded in our 96 years, with just a little bit more than 3.75 inches of rain TOTAL (here at the Nursery with our fancy weather system … yes, we are weather nerds too). Usually, April and May in Chicagoland bring about 6-10 inches of rain. That is a severe deficit to start the year. We didn’t get any big rains until mid-June and ended the month with about 6.5 inches total. When we finally did get rain, it may have been too late for some plants that didn’t get what they needed back in April and May. We started to see some death and health issues on plants in June. It rained again in July but never enough — only about 2 inches total. Keep in mind that any moisture we may have gotten back in May or June is long gone and cannot be counted on to keep everything hydrated. Rainwater doesn’t just “stick around,” so those rain events don’t count a month later. It’s pretty rare for us to tell someone to skip a regular watering in their schedule after a rain event. One thing to learn from 2021 is that you can’t say, “But it rained a few weeks ago,” or “We got soooo much rain so I haven’t watered.” Rain from three weeks ago was used three weeks ago. Don’t let your plants go weeks without water because it rained “sometime back a week or two.” Sadly, we saw plants die because folks didn’t water because they told us we got so much rain. (Narrator: We did not, in fact, get so much rain.) August brought us about 3 inches of rain, similar to July. The temperatures weren’t too bad, but it was still typically hot. People tend to forget about plants in August because school is starting, vacations are happening, etc. Always make sure you water your plants before leaving them for a week or two. If you will be gone longer, make arrangements with a neighbor to help. Never skip a scheduled watering. September was so freaking hot that we all just about burst into flames trying to do anything outside at all.

We also only got .83 inches of rain here at WNHQ. Less than an INCH of rain for the whole hot month. Yuck. By then, my hand was fused to the watering wand and I cringed when I got my water bill. But, dang, my garden looked AWESOME! I had kept to my watering schedule beginning in April, and it was paying off. October and November were a little better, but by now you could see the effects of a dry season. Trees weren’t turning colors. Leaves were either just dropping without color or turning crispy and hanging on. Watering into fall is one of the best things you can do for your plants: This gives them moisture to use to finish up their processes and stay strong and healthy for winter. If they have to fight all fall, winter and into spring for moisture, you’ll see issues the following season. (This is why so many plants had TONS of fruit or seeds this year — dry temps in October 2020 caused them to panic and produce more “offspring” in 2021 just in case the mother plant died. It’s a stress reaction that takes many months to manifest!) We continue to water until the ground is frozen (usually late December). December has been weirdly warm — as I write this, tomorrow is supposed to be 65 degrees! Either it’s the end of days, or Mother Nature isn’t quite ready for snow. Hoping that it isn’t a signal that true winter will be an ungracious visitor. I will also probably water since the ground isn’t frozen. Got nothin’ to lose with a little extra drink for my leafy friends! What is to be learned from all of this drought doom and gloom? The entire growing season affects your plants. Often folks think spring is the awakening and they don’t have to do anything the rest of the year. But lack of rainfall can negatively affect your plants if ignored. For 2022, plan on adding organic material to your soils to help with moisture retention and resupply much needed micronutrients. Mulch your plants (no more than 2 inches total), which will help them stay cool and not dry out as fast. Use organic, slow-release fertilizers that plants can use all season (we like Plant-Tone). Give your plants long soaks vs. short bursts (irrigation systems don’t work for this — call us for more info). Get on a regular watering schedule, and stick to it. Don’t count on Mother Nature, and don’t think water from April is still around in June.

And believe it or not, your soil profile is very important to the health of your trees and other plants. I love to talk soil — I studied it in college — so next month I’ll get into more detail on how you can take good care of your soil, which rewards you with thriving plants. Cheers to the 2021 garden season; may it bring us knowledge, reflection, joy and lots of new growth in 2022!

Meagan is the Senior Landscape Designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles. She can be reached at 630-584-4424 or design@ wasconursery.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!