watering

Whew, has it been hot! Scorching temperatures and dry conditions in the last few weeks have made it difficult for both people and plants. Our trees are still recovering from the last two years of severe drought and are not fully recovered yet. Fall watering is one of the best things homeowners can do to prevent further stress and help their trees continue to recover.  

But the drought’s over, why are trees still stressed? 

During severe drought, as we experienced in 2022-2023, trees were damaged in several ways as listed below.  

In the vegetable garden, an even supply of water throughout the growing season is directly related to the garden's quality and yield of vegetables harvested.  Generally, vegetable demand for water is high during 1) the first few weeks of growth following germination, 2) right after transplanting, and 3) during flowering and fruit development.

However, with each vegetable crop there are particular developmental stages when having a good supply of water is critical.

Late summer and fall are an exciting time in the garden. Harvest is in full swing, perennials can be divided, lawns can be overseeded, and so much more! It’s a shame to miss this window of opportunity to “upgrade” your landscape. There’s work to be done – that’s for sure – but focusing on the most important tasks first and tackling them in the right order will save work in the long run.

Lancaster County ended 2022 under very dry conditions – approximately 11 inches below normal rainfall. Dry conditions continued throughout winter bringing us into spring with the entire state still experiencing drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Lancaster county is currently classified with “severe drought” conditions. To find the drought conditions for your location at any time throughout the year summer, visit droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

Summer 2022 was hot! The Lincoln area had 66 days of 90+ F days from May through September 30. And this was often coupled with very windy conditions! In unwatered portions of the landscape many gardeners saw lawns turning brown, soil pulled away from driveway and sidewalk edges, and possibly even scorch symptoms in trees. These are all good indications when our our landscapes are dry. For a current look at Lincoln drought status, visit U.S. Drought Monitor.

High temperatures and dry conditions have resulted in many lawns turning brown in the last few weeks, but all plants suffer during hot, dry conditions not just lawns. From June 1 to July 24, 2022, we’ve had 24 days of 90+ degree heat this summer. Lancaster County had a rain deficit of 0.75 inches in June and we’re also 0.84 inches short for July, based on normal monthly rainfall averages from the High Plains Regional Climate Center (CLIMOD). For a current look at Lincoln drought status, visit U.S. Drought Monitor.

Most of this winter’s conditions have been abnormally warm and dry, and at times very windy. Lack of snow or rain is resulting in winter drought conditions for much of the state - for a look at current drought conditions, visit drought.unl.edu. In the Lincoln area, soil did not freeze until late December and only remained frozen for a few weeks, until approximately late January. In many areas, recent warm conditions have reduced or eliminated frozen soil.