Grass Clippings
The summer holiday season is a good time for the team to concentrate upon several improvement projects. Members using facilities now can’t fail to notice the work ongoing to courts 7 to 10, installing the new winter air hall and the new acrylic court surface.
Out on the course contractors are installing a new drain line that will capture water on the eastern side of the course perimeter. In the last few years, considerable amounts of water flows across the perimeter of the course and collects around holes 5, 16 and 17. Completing the drainage scheme now, while the course is quiet and dry will mean the contractors are able to move swiftly and cause less damage. Their trench cutter, ‘The Beast’ is quite a piece of kit to see and seems to have been liberated from a Mad Max film set. My hope is that the Beast trenches steadily and surely a path across the golf course, without incident or breakdown.
Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) is something that we have had to live with in the Southeast for the last few years but seems to be increasing north and westwards, further into the rest of England. A seasonal pest, prevalent in the summer season when the caterpillars are on the march they can be found in oak forests, where they feed on oak leaves, causing significant damage. They travel in nose-to-tail processions (hence their name), often arrow-headed, with a leader followed by rows of several caterpillars abreast. They are a human irritant because of their venomous setae (hairs), which can cause skin irritation and asthma. The moths are widely distributed in central and southern Europe, in the southern countries of Europe the populations are controlled by natural predators, but these predators are not present in northern areas of the continent.
The moth now has an established population in the UK due to trees which had been imported into the country that had not been quarantined and which contained the OPM eggs secreted on the branches. These trees were supplied to local authorities in the Richmond and Ealing areas of London in 2006 and the range of the species in the UK has been steadily expanding despite efforts to eradicate it. Spraying trees is a hit or miss affair due to the size and the coverage areas needed to be sprayed (usually from ground level). Since the first outbreak, the infected area has spread out across London and there doesn’t seem to be any abatement in the speed of travel out to the provinces.
Whether out on the golf course, or in your own garden, please be wary of cobweb structures on oak trees or finding a very hirsute caterpillar on its own or travelling in convoy nose to tail. As previously mentioned, the hairs carry a toxin that can cause a reaction that can seem like an asthma attack or an allergy reaction. In such cases it is recommended that you seek medical assistance.
Hosepipe bans
At the time of writing, before the rains came, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, the Isle of Man, and Isle of Wight now have hosepipe restrictions, carrying a £1,000 fine for watering plants using a hose in a domestic setting. There is a fear in the garden-centre trade that the drought conditions will make people think twice a about starting landscape projects this autumn. The industry has had a turbulent time over the last few years, from the knock-on effect of departing Europe and the need for every plant to have certification for the purpose of sale, to the massive popularity of gardening during the pandemic and the upward swing in using the garden as an extra room.
The hope that this would be the start of a recovery of the industry seems to be diminishing as the long hot summer has led to water companies now warning of shortages. Overall, the UK saw just 56% (46.3mm) of its average rainfall for July, making it the driest July in over 20 years (with 1999 recording 46.1 mm) and continues a run of all months, bar February, being drier than average in 2022 so far. Although a very testing time for gardeners, it can and will rapidly change in the autumn, it’s just knowing when the autumn rains will come this year and how effective they are at rehydrating scored areas and trees which are suffering. The rain dance continues!
Part Two of How to Cope with Heat Stress in the Garden
A sudden drought will wreak havoc on fruiting and flowering trees. A plant will protect itself by dropping all its flowers rapidly as a mechanism to reduce water loss, this act of self-preservation only interrupts flowering briefly and once the worst of the heat is over, new blooms usually replace those lost. However, if this is a fruiting plant, you’ve lost a significant amount of your crop. During summer heatwaves and times of drought, fruiting trees will also dispense with fruit, and you’ll find your harvest on the ground rotting before it had a chance to ripen. Fruit of course takes lots of water to produce, so as a last resort, your plant will get rid of its offspring as a last-ditch effort to save itself. Since the entire purpose of a plant’s life cycle is to have the next generation, you know things are bad when they’ve been discarded.
Methods to overcome plant stress in fruit trees
– Plant trees and shrubs that are drought-resistant
– Choose plants generously rated for your growing zone
– Plant these in highly organic soil (which naturally holds moisture better and releases it slowly back into the soil)
– Ensure your plants have been planted at least 6-8 weeks before harsh summer temperatures kick in for your area
– Install drip irrigation or soaker hoses around trees and shrubs to deliver water at the roots, or provide supplemental watering during these times
– Mulch the root system very well, extending out to the drip line of your plant.
Keeping up with container plants watering needs
Smaller plants in pots can be difficult to keep watered throughout the day during summer’s heat, let alone during a heatwave. Those contained root systems are usually smaller and don’t have the earth’s protective mass to keep them hydrated and cool. They dry up exponentially faster and soon you’ll see the soil pulling away from the sides of the pot. When you attempt to water overly-dried-out potting soil, the water usually just pours down the gap that forms between the pot and soil, and then right out the bottom; never able to absorb into the soil nearest the central root systems. When this happens, it takes a significant amount of sustained watering to rehydrate that entire pot to the point where it won’t wilt in an hour anyway.
The best way to water smaller plants is to fill a large bucket with enough water so when you put that potted plant into the water, it will completely cover the soil and pot. Submerge the entire pot and watch until it stops bubbling (which means it has saturated the soil completely), pull the plant out and let any excess drain away. You may have to hold the plant down if it’s become too dry until it takes on enough water to not float. Larger planters and containers you cannot move just need to be thoroughly soaked until you see water starting to pool, then let the excess trickle from the drainage holes. It is very important for these larger containers to never let them become too dried out. Mulch or moss to cover the soil surface works just as well in planters and container plants as it does on your landscaping!
By reducing soil exposure to heat and sun, you’re keeping roots cooler, reducing evaporation and cooling roots. Containers gardens can benefit greatly from lining the inside of the pots with a thin layer of Styrofoam (even old egg cartons) before adding the soil to the pot creating a bit of insulation from the heat in summer and cold in winter too! This can also make your pots lighter and saves money by not requiring you to fill the entire container with soil. There are potting soil mixes with moisture absorbent crystals (like the kind found in baby diapers!) that absorb water and then when the soil around them dries out, they slowly release that water, allowing you to go a bit longer between waterings, but just a bit. Having highly organic soil with lots of peat and compost does the same job, holding excess moisture, then releasing it slowly when needed most.
If you know an excessively hot day or heatwave is on the way and you are able – move your container plants into a more protected area where they can find shady relief from the worst part of the day.
Dry winds and reflected heat
Temperature, sun and humidity aren’t the only problems your plants face out there! The wind is another factor that can make your plants dry out or dry up really fast! Provide a windbreak or barrier that protects plants that are exposed to those dry winds. Planting near the street or a structure that reflects lots of sunlight or heat back onto plants is another major problem during the summer and becomes a massive issue during heatwaves. It’s like the heat and sun are amplified! A tree near a picture window or metal fence that bounces the sun’s rays back onto the plant or absorbs excess heat can cook a plant if it’s planted too close. Street trees and more delicate leaved plants can show signs as the leaf margins dry up and turn brown, a frequent problem with Japanese Maples and Linden Trees. The leaf surface can scorch and turn tan or brown for the rest of the season.
Really, making sure your plant has a touch of afternoon shade and protection before planting is the first line of defence in preventing this from happening. Keep them well watered and hope for a new flush of foliage, once temperatures calm down.
Helping your lawn
Watering your lawn is similar to watering your plants. Water deeply and thoroughly, but for turfgrass, water less frequently when establishing your lawn, will ensure the roots grow down deep. This is a very important method for training your plants to find water on their own. Light and frequent watering keep the plant roots close to the surface where they can dry out quickly and stress the plants sooner.