I know I talk about the weather all the time, but it impacts our business and your landscapes so much. We have now surpassed the worst drought numbers in the last 90 years for Central Ohio. IT IS DRY!
What you need to be concerned about is your trees and shrubs. Turf and perennials rebounded when we got the rains from the hurricanes and will be okay as they go dormant until next season (as long as we have a wet winter and spring to help them). Trees and shrubs are elevated and are exposed to harsher winter elements. They are vulnerable to desiccation and need additional watering to make sure they thrive. Water your trees and shrubs thoroughly once every other week for established plants – new plantings water twice a week. The water needs to reach a depth of 4-8 inches. This takes more water than you would think. The best way is a slow trickling hose for one plant or a set sprinkler for many plants. Dig a small hole to see your success rate and water penetration depth. Evergreens don’t lose their foliage, so it is even more important for these plants to be hydrated going into the winter.
Our climate is changing and it is becoming more and more obvious. Columbus will break recorded high temperatures for 3 out of the last 5 days. Whatever it is, our new normal is here and changing. We have seen more storm damage than ever in our company’s history from the record number of tornadoes this year. As a result, what we plant and how we maintain things are evolving each year. We are mowing 4-6 more times a year than we did 20 years ago. Our growing season is getting longer by a week every 5 years! Insects and new plants are sneaking in due to the climate warming and changing. The Columbus heat island effect is easy to see every time you watch the weather on TV. There tends to be a 5-10 degrees temperature difference between Columbus and Marysville almost every day.
The answer is simple: more trees and less pavement. Those “weeds” in empty lots and unused properties cool the earth, filter our air and water, and create habitat for the circle of life. Below is the abandoned farm field behind our facility.
This was a bean field last year. In 11 months, mother nature has covered it in a diverse grass field. If left alone, mother nature can return and repair itself (if not stripped of all vital elements). Unfortunately, more roads and more data centers are coming for this space.
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