THE ARBOR DOCTOR

Believe it or not, it’s been a little dry lately.  Less than an inch of rain has fallen at Cheviot OH 0.9 SSE over the past week and a half, and little is forecast.  After a cool Memorial Day weekend, it looks like a significant heat wave will develop as we head into June.  This could accentuate any soil moisture deficits.

By early May, conditions had become quite dry in the area.  A slow moving storm system dumped large amounts of rain over Cincinnati and points south.  However, this rain did not extend very far north in Ohio or Indiana.  A daily rainfall record was established at CVG on Sunday.

5/6/2013	6:15 AM	OH-HM-5	Cheviot 0.9 SSE	2.02	0.0	0.0	OH	Hamilton
5/6/2013	5:00 AM	OH-HM-13	Cincinnati 8.9 NW	1.49	NA	NA	OH	Hamilton
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-HM-14	Sharonville 1.4 SE	1.05	NA	NA	OH	Hamilton
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-HM-20	(N8ASV)Harrison 3.6 NNE	0.96	NA	NA	OH	Hamilton
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-WR-15	Lebanon 0.7 S	0.95	NA	NA	OH	Warren
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-HM-15	Loveland 0.4 W	0.93	NA	NA	OH	Hamilton
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-WR-14	Lebanon 3.4 E	0.88	0.0	0.0	OH	Warren
5/6/2013	7:00 PM	OH-CN-6	Wilmington 3.6 W	0.79	0.0	0.0	OH	Clinton
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-HG-2	Lynchburg 6.1 SW	0.77	NA	NA	OH	Highland
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-BT-1	Hamilton 4.7 E	0.73	0.0	0.0	OH	Butler
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-AD-2	West Union 0.5 S	0.65	NA	NA	OH	Adams
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-MY-20	Germantown 5.4 W	0.48	NA	NA	OH	Montgomery
5/6/2013	6:30 AM	OH-WR-10	Clarksville 2.3 WNW	0.45	NA	NA	OH	Warren
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-SC-4	Rosemount 0.3 W	0.38	0.0	0.0	OH	Scioto
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-SC-1	Sciotodale 1.2 W	0.30	NA	NA	OH	Scioto
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	OH-CN-10	Wilmington 2.2 N	0.28	NA	NA	OH	Clinton
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-MY-5	Farmersville 1.7 E	0.27	NA	NA	OH	Montgomery
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-PB-4	Eaton 1.1 WSW	0.27	NA	NA	OH	Preble
5/6/2013	8:35 AM	OH-GR-8	Beavercreek 3.5 SW	0.26	NA	NA	OH	Greene
5/6/2013	9:30 AM	OH-AT-7	New Marshfield 1.6 SW	0.25	NA	NA	OH	Athens
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-MY-17	New Lebanon 0.6 SSE	0.24	NA	NA	OH	Montgomery
5/6/2013	8:00 AM	OH-MY-21	Kettering 2.8 WNW	0.20	NA	NA	OH	Montgomery

There is an old adage that one should water everything real well one last time around Thanksgiving to avoid wintertime dessication. 

According to Iowa State University extension, “To prevent winter desiccation, it is important to maintain adequate soil moisture by watering evergreens once a week (during dry periods) to allow them to growth vigorously throughout summer and into fall. Deep watering in fall is especially important if rainfall in late summer and fall is well below normal. Another practice that may reduce the risk of winter injury is to apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of wood chips or shredded bark around the base of evergeens. This will help conserve soil moisture and prevent deep freezing of the soil in winter.”

Summer drought reached very high levels this summer, peaking around August 28 with extreme drought in parts of the area.  The remnants of hurricane Isaac eased the drought Labor Day weekend, with total September well above normal.  However, the drought never totally ended and November rainfall has thus far been less than one inch. 

We are finding dry, cracked ground in many landscapes right now.  Evergreens stressed by the summer heat and drought are now facing a winter with a dried out root system.  The straw which breaks the camel’s back may be at hand. 

What can you do?

• Water each tree and shrub one last time, about one to two inches.

• Be certain trees and shrubs have 2-3 inches of bark mulch.  Keep it back from the trunk or plant base a few inches.

• Consider root sytem improvement.  We aerate our lawns, why not our trees?  Research and experience shows the single most beneficial treatment to improve tree health is root systam aeration and improvement through basal tilling and radial trenching or vertical mulching.  For more information, click here>>>

• Consider adding trees, or replacing those which are too far gone.  It’s by no means too late to plant.  Click here for more details>>>

•  Contact us for more information on any service or with any questions.

A wetter weather pattern has set in during September, but not as wet as you might think.  The remnants of Isaac dumped a lot of rain, but the 4.50 at the CVG airport location was not representative.  Area wide, Isaac’s rainfall was veried, with most locations getting 2 or 3 inches.

CVG has now had over 7 inches for September.  This too is true, but not representative.  Ron’s Cheviot 0.9 SSE location has had 5.61 inches, and we continue to find dry soil profiles across the area.  Yes, the rain has been very helpful, but the need for water ing has not been eliminated.  Monitor soil moisture in your yard and if it is dry, continue to water.

More drought information and updates are available here>>>.  Note that parts of the area are still in some degree of drought.

Interesting how the extreme drought decreased this week over southwest Ohio in the US Drought Monitor despite the lack of rain.  I can only take these indices so seriously.  Suffice to say it’s very dry and getting drier.  Moderate and severe drought coverage expanded slightly this week.  Areas which got rain a couple weeks ago are getting quite dry again.  The Palmer Drought Index has more accurately depicted drought this year across the area.

 Anyone who doubts just how dry this summer has been in some parts of the area need only look at this three month precipitation summary beginning on June 1, 2012, and ending Thursday, August 22.  Western Butler and northwestern Hamilton county are in extreme drought, with severe drought in eastern Butler county and central Hamilton county.  Southeastern Hamilton county has had adequate rainfall this summer and is not in drought.