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Water Weary Plants

By Wayne Hobbs Environmental Horticulture Agent
Posted 5/30/18

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – As we come to the end of the one of the wettest Mays in the history of our region, your instinct may be to think that this is a great year for plants. However, just like …

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Water Weary Plants


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – As we come to the end of the one of the wettest Mays in the history of our region, your instinct may be to think that this is a great year for plants. However, just like you may be tired of having rain in the forecast, many of our plants are feeling the stress of continually wet soils as well.
As our true rainy season begins, it may be time to consider the negative effects of too much rain on your garden and landscape plants.

Turfgrass
With rain comes frequent mowing of turf throughout the spring and summer but did you know too much water can lead to many lawn issues? First of all, depending on your soil type and landscape location, your lawn can actually die out in sections just from staying wet. If you have a dark black soil within your yard that never seems to dry out, you will likely have problems in your turf that are extremely difficult to correct.
Excess rain and standing water can also lead to disease in turf, with Pythium root rot, brown patch and take-all root rot taking a foothold whenever it stays wet for an extended period of time.
To manage water stress issues in your yard, ensure proper drainage, choose the right turfgrass, and make sure your irrigation system is not running unnecessarily during wet periods. You can also check your required rain sensor on your system to make sure it’s operating properly and have it repaired or replaced if needed.

Ornamental Plants
The stress created by having wet roots can also manifest itself on landscape plants. During these times it is very common to see leaf, flower, or fruit drop; which can be very worrisome. Start off by making sure plants are well suited to their location, matching the wettest areas of your yard with water loving species. Some diseases (leaf spots, mildews, and other fungi are rampant) can also become more of an issue during wet periods so contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office with any identification questions.
If your landscape plant’s roots become fully saturated, rake any existing mulch away from the plants main stems and observe it for decline. Following this stress, symptoms can occur immediately or show up months in the future so keep an eye out for problems.

Citrus
A special concern of many citizens in our county is citrus and it can have some very dramatic responses to wet weather. Leaf, flower and fruit drop is very common during high stress years. Since last summer and Hurricane Irma, our orange trees are going to likely have a rough time throughout the early parts of this year as they recover.
To maintain good citrus health, it is essential to provide proper fertilization and care along with keeping mulch, stone, vegetation or any ground cover away from the main trunk of the tree. For more information, visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs132.
However, please note that citrus greening can cause fruit drop, leaf drop, and branch dieback as well. If you notice odd, asymmetrical yellow blotching on your plant’s leaves, abnormally ripening fruit that may appear lopsided, or general tree decline, it may be wise to contact your UF/IFAS Extension Office about getting your plant tested.
If you have any horticultural, agricultural, 4-H, or family and consumer science questions, contact the University of Florida/IFAS Clay County Extension Office online at http://www.clay.ifas.ufl.edu or call by phone at (904) 284-6355.