The Drought's Almost Over, Now What? Part 2
The Damage Is Done...
What About the Future
When the time comes to replace the plants that have succumbed to our "Egyptian" like summer how about considering native plants? You have heard it before, I'm sure. What is the fuss with the "native" plant movement. For starters, they can better tolerate our natural weather conditions. Granted, this summer was not typical of an Indiana summer. However, a native plant has a better chance than a plant that was meant to grow elsewhere.
During the peak of the drought, I had a chance to observe some well established native prairie plantings. They were green and blooming even with the extreme temps, dry air, and lack of rainfall. Why were these plantings so resilient? They had a diverse number of different types of native plant species. Some of the plants tolerate moist conditions while others prefer drier conditions. Some of the native plants thrive in Spring while others will prefer Summer or Fall. There was also a variety of heights. Some have grown tall enough to create their own shade for the soil so there is less evaporation of moisture.
The blue grass blend lawn that is mowed to a height of 3 inches weekly can not handle such extreme conditions. There is not enough shade for the soil or diversity in the plant species. Sure, the lawn may bounce back with some rain somewhat, but why not have it look good the entire season no matter how hot and dry or cool and moist for that matter?
Native plant species have deeper root systems, require less water, no fertilizer and less maintenance than a lawn or annual plantings. Do they bloom like annuals? Simply put, no way! Will a native plant die while you are gone over a long weekend? Simply put, no way! Can you plant a variety of native species of plants that will give you some blooming color for almost all of the season? Absolutely!
Will the benefits of the new native planting have an incredible impact on your water bill, the community fresh water availability, the amount of pesticides used, the bugs, the birds, the ecosystem as a whole? Absolutely, positively, YES!
All it takes is a little planning and homework. There are many resources available for information on native plants for our area. Maybe we should all even consider a rain garden with native planting? Tune in for the The Drought is Almost Over, Now What, Part 3 for more on that.
Did you miss part 1 of this series? Read it here.
Written by
Steve Wicker
Cool Ponds Co-Owner
What About the Future
When the time comes to replace the plants that have succumbed to our "Egyptian" like summer how about considering native plants? You have heard it before, I'm sure. What is the fuss with the "native" plant movement. For starters, they can better tolerate our natural weather conditions. Granted, this summer was not typical of an Indiana summer. However, a native plant has a better chance than a plant that was meant to grow elsewhere.
During the peak of the drought, I had a chance to observe some well established native prairie plantings. They were green and blooming even with the extreme temps, dry air, and lack of rainfall. Why were these plantings so resilient? They had a diverse number of different types of native plant species. Some of the plants tolerate moist conditions while others prefer drier conditions. Some of the native plants thrive in Spring while others will prefer Summer or Fall. There was also a variety of heights. Some have grown tall enough to create their own shade for the soil so there is less evaporation of moisture.
The blue grass blend lawn that is mowed to a height of 3 inches weekly can not handle such extreme conditions. There is not enough shade for the soil or diversity in the plant species. Sure, the lawn may bounce back with some rain somewhat, but why not have it look good the entire season no matter how hot and dry or cool and moist for that matter?
Native plant species have deeper root systems, require less water, no fertilizer and less maintenance than a lawn or annual plantings. Do they bloom like annuals? Simply put, no way! Will a native plant die while you are gone over a long weekend? Simply put, no way! Can you plant a variety of native species of plants that will give you some blooming color for almost all of the season? Absolutely!
Will the benefits of the new native planting have an incredible impact on your water bill, the community fresh water availability, the amount of pesticides used, the bugs, the birds, the ecosystem as a whole? Absolutely, positively, YES!
All it takes is a little planning and homework. There are many resources available for information on native plants for our area. Maybe we should all even consider a rain garden with native planting? Tune in for the The Drought is Almost Over, Now What, Part 3 for more on that.
Did you miss part 1 of this series? Read it here.
Steve Wicker
Cool Ponds Co-Owner
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