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A rainy day in Druid Hill Park (Photo by C. Mezensky)
With all of the rain we’ve had in Baltimore lately, some gardeners may be concerned about their waterlogged yards. This is despite the fact that, according to an article on wbaltv.com, a drought was declared on March 28. More than 3 inches of rain has fallen since, mostly in April. Wet lawns, drainage issues, slugs and mushrooms and yellow plants are worrying gardeners all around the state. Here are some tips for dealing with your soggy garden.
These days, many Baltimore lawns are overgrown and have puddles in spots. Stay off of your lawn when it is soggy because the grass is more delicate and it can get crushed easily. This will lead to bare patches. Yellow or brown spots on the lawn may be a sign of fungus. Look carefully at the grass blades to see if they look rotted. Don’t mow the lawn if it is too wet. Besides rusting your lawnmower blades, you will trample the ground and any soil compaction will get worse. Any fungus present will spread. If lawn drainage is a regular issue, consider a French drain. They are easy to install and are simply a gravel filled trench. For more information on how to build one read this article by Eric Liskey. This will help relieve any recurring waterlogged areas.
Mushrooms can plague lawns when there is a lot of rainy weather. They propagate by spreading spores so to get rid of them totally you would have to dig up the soil, which is time consuming. You can simply pick them and dispose of them away from children and pets. If you like the way the mushrooms look, a LessLawn article suggests tips for incorporating the invading fungi as a new garden element. Don’t eat the mushrooms as unless you are a botanical expert; you may not know if they are poisonous or not.
The more it rains, the more home gardeners may find problems with waterlogged soil. Hold off planting any seeds until the soil is drier or the seeds may rot. Plants may have yellow or wilting leaves and won’t be growing normally. If you suspect the plant is damaged, dig it up carefully. The roots will be soft, black and may smell like rotten eggs. If there is enough of the root system left that you believe the plant can be saved, move it to a pot with good drainage. If just some of the roots look rotten remove them. When potted plants look waterlogged move them and or raise them so more water can get out. Make sure all potted plants have rocks or broken crockery in the bottom for drainage. If wet soil is a problem consider building a raised bed for your vegetables or best plants.
Slugs and snails can be everywhere during wet weather and they will eat your young, leafy plants once they come up. Remove dead leaves or other debris that slugs can hide under. Beer traps are very effective. Bury a shallow, wide plastic container (such as one for yogurt, sour cream) about ¾ of the way up. Add some beer but it doesn’t matter if it is stale or fresh. An eartheasy article on natural slug control suggests propping the kid of the container open with a stick so rain doesn’t get in and dilute the beer. If you are not squeamish, you can simply pick up slugs and snails with chopsticks. Also, scattering coffee grounds near tender plants can help keep slugs away. Hopefully the wet weather will ease up soon, but even so this rain will ensure that Maryland gardeners don’t go into the main growing season in the middle of a drought.
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