Canada springs are known for their sudden downpours. The season brings a beautiful view, but also a lot of moisture. For you, the season is all about great weather, but for your garden it’s a different scenario. Light rainfall gives provides enough water to your lawn but a heavy rainfall causes problems.
Too much rainfall at frequent intervals make the lawn or garden prone to weeds and fungal diseases. Excessive soaking after the showers can also damage the plant roots and affect their growth. Thankfully, there are several ways to deal with this issue.
Turn Off Your Sprinkler System
After heavy rainfall, your lawn becomes overwatered. Too much water can saturate the soil leaving the water to collect in the low-lying areas. To help it get dry, turn off your sprinkler system to minimize the amount of water in your landscape.
Don’t Walk on the Wet Lawn
Avoid walking or digging in your garden when it’s muddy, because the more you step on it, the more damage you do to the turf. Put some mulch between the plant rows or wait for your lawn to dry out a little.
Keep the Drains Clean
The problems can worsen if your drains and gutters are flooded. The excess water present in your lawn needs a place to move out. Keep the drainage system clean to let the excess water flow out from the garden to prevent flooding.
Monitor Your Plants
The combination of moisture and warm temperatures during the spring creates a situation perfect for various plant diseases. Monitor your plants for any signs such as discolouration, spots or rotting. After heavy rain, black spots and powdery mildew are common on various plants. Remove leaves, twigs or other debris from your garden to eliminate the possibility of decaying plants which invite slugs and accelerate fungal diseases.
Aerate the Soil
To combat the damage caused by frequent downpours, aerate your garden’s soil with core aerator. This’ll ease compaction by removing the small plugs in the soil. In addition to this, apply ground covers or mulch to reduce compaction. In place of a core aerator, a metal rod or a wooden dowel can also be used for making holes.
You can’t control the weather. So, to deal with the problems caused by weather changes be proactive. During the spring, give your irrigation system a rest, keep your drains clean, avoid walking on the wet garden, keep a close eye on the plants and aerate the soil. These efforts are sure to make difference and help your landscape in recovering from heavy rainfall.