Can you remember a July with as much rain as we have had? I can’t. Usually by the end of July I am begging for rain – not this year! Fortunately for us and our plants there is drier weather in the forecast.
For many plants the clockwork rainfall has been a blessing. For other plants it has been a curse. Maybe you’ve seen some of these unfortunate plants in your landscape.
I have fielded many phone calls about trees and shrubs with yellowing, wilting, or blackening leaves. If you see a plant like this in your landscape, don’t immediately get out the hose and start watering. Wilting leaves are often associated with a plant in need of watering – but the opposite can and is true as well. That is, plants may exhibit wilting if they are too wet! Given the amount of rainfall we have had, it is very likely that a wilting plant is suffering from too much water. Adding more water to an already overly hydrated plant will likely send it to a watery grave!
How can one tell if a plant is receiving too much moisture?
Easy – check the soil! Using a garden trowel dig a hole alongside the root mass of the plant. To get the best reading, go six inches to a foot down in depth. Check the soil you are removing for moisture. Moistened soil is darker in color, heavier, cool to the touch, and may simply be just plain muddy and wet! If you find the soil underneath the suffering plant to be wet, hold off on watering with a hose or sprinkler.
How long should you hold off?
Check the soil again in 3 to 5 days and keep rechecking at regular intervals until little to no moisture is detected. No moisture? Time to water!
If you’ve determined the plant is suffering from too much moisture then what can you do?
Well, unfortunately we can’t request Mother Nature to save the rain for another day. However, if you’ve been doing any supplemental watering then it is time to put the hose away. In many cases you’ll find that your plant will recover from its oversaturated state. In an extreme case of over-hydration the plant will not recover.
If you still have questions, White Oak is always here to help! Bring in photos, a sample of your plant and our experts can give you advice.
@whiteoakgardens