GARDENING: Much of Ohio is very dry and some areas are in great drought

Entomologists suspect that we may see another generation yet this season. Be on the lookout for newly hatched caterpillars, which are quite small and may be feeding on the internal foliage.

The other common question is this, “What do you do with the plants that are defoliated?”

These plants can be rejuvenated somewhat. Since they are evergreen, if the foliage is missing, it takes a little longer for them to come back. Leaves are needed for photosynthesis and continued growth.

These plants can be cut back to green wood (remove any dead) and new growth will hopefully come out. Again, it will take time. Boxwoods can be defoliated up to three years in a row before they completely die.

The farther you cut them back, and the bigger the stems, the longer it may take them to recover. As they recover, particularly in those areas of infestation this year, keep inspecting them for an outbreak.

The other landscape challenge facing the Miami Valley now is the drought. At the time of writing, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Ohio is either abnormally dry to exceptional drought (Meigs and Athens counties).

Parts of Clark and all of Greene counties are in the moderate drought area while Miami and Warren counties are abnormally dry. Butler and Hamilton counties have small areas of abnormally dry.

Any newly planted trees and shrubs or those planted within the last five years should be watered thoroughly. Lay the hose at the base of the tree and turn it on a slow trickle until the soil is saturated in the area around the root system.

Perennials that are either new or recently planted or those that have shallow root systems should also be watered thoroughly to prevent losses. Ornamental grasses are also in this category.

In terms of turfgrass areas, lawns can go dormant for up to three weeks without any water. However, if your lawn is at the three-week threshold, provide at least an inch of irrigation to saturate the crowns of turfgrass. This soaking will keep the crowns alive but will not green up the turfgrass.

If you haven’t been keeping up with annuals and vegetables, they are likely looking rough. You can tell the difference in terms of quality between those that have been watered and those that are struggling.

Keep in mind that fall is typically dry so we may stay in this drought stage for a few weeks. If you aren’t getting rainfall, you need to irrigate appropriately with a deep soaking.