This spring at our Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale, I bought the most beautiful Japanese Maple. A couple of longtime volunteers working the maple section know all about my obsession with these beautiful trees, an addiction they share. Every year they happily enable me, insisting I definitely need just one more. This year's selection was a stunning laceleaf, weeping cultivar called 'Lady Abbess,' and I was powerless to keep it out of my cart. I've been keeping it in a pot until I find the perfect permanent spot in my yard, but this summer’s brutal heat and drought have made watering an uphill battle. My tree is already showing classic signs of leaf scorch, which happens when leaves lose moisture faster than the roots can supply it, leaving the edges brown, curled, and crispy.
My little maple isn't the only plant in our area that is struggling with this summer heat and lack of rainfall. According to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, our state is facing an unprecedented, historic dry spell, with dozens of counties pushed into extreme or exceptional (D4) drought status. The D4 (Exceptional Drought) is the U.S. Drought Monitor’s highest and most severe drought classification. In North Carolina, it indicates widespread, critical shortages in reservoirs, streams, and wells, leading to water emergencies, severe agricultural losses, and mandatory water-use restrictions. Protecting our landscapes through this historic dry spell requires moving away from traditional watering habits and adopting a more strategic, "waterwise" approach.
Here are some tips to help your garden and lawn survive the summer:
Water Correctly: Avoid daily, shallow watering. Watering slowly and deeply forces roots to grow downward into cooler soil layers where moisture lasts longer. Irrigate exclusively in the early morning to reduce evaporation and keep fungal diseases at bay. Use soaker hoses or drip lines directly at the base or root dripline rather than overhead sprinklers.
Mulch it good: Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch over root zones. This lowers soil temperatures by up to 15 degrees and helps to retain soil moisture. Be sure to keep mulch away from tree and shrub trunks.
Don't encourage new growth: Do not fertilize or prune stressed plants right now. Pushing new growth or creating open wounds drains a plant's dwindling energy reserves. Also, now is not the time to plant something new, wait until the fall.
Allow your lawn to go dormant: While a brown lawn is tough to look at, turf dormancy during severe heat or drought is a natural survival mechanism. Healthy turfgrass can withstand 3 to 6 weeks without water and will bounce back when conditions improve.
Drought is a recurring cycle in North Carolina. Choosing drought tolerant plants and employing waterwise strategies can help your garden and lawn survive this challenging weather. For more information or help to identify issues in your landscape, visit the NC State Extension Plant Clinic at the New Hanover County Arboretum.
Amy Mead is the County Extension Director in New Hanover County. She can be reached at afmead@ncsu.edu. Visit NC Cooperative Extension at the New Hanover County Arboretum.
