PORTLAND (WGME) — What started as a wet spring in Maine has turned into a very dry summer.
The latest drought monitor shows many spots in a moderate drought, while some areas along the Midcoast and coastal Downeast Maine are under a severe drought.
This is why it’s important to give your garden a nice drink.
“You want to water a little less frequently, but for longer. So instead of watering a little every day, a little at a time, you want to really water maybe three times a week for a lot longer so the water can really saturate the soil,” Skillin’s Greenhouses Owner Chad Skillin said.
Mulching your garden has many different benefits, like helping it retain water, but it’s important not to put down too much.
“Keep things well mulched but not too much mulch, you don’t want to make it like an oven. Just enough to keep the water retention in,” Skillin said.
You’ll want to make sure to pull the weeds from your garden as well. Weeds can take water and essential nutrients away from your flowers.
It’s also important not to fertilize in drought conditions.
“If you’re in a situation where there just isn’t enough water, you don’t want those plants to jumble out of extra growth. So you just take the fertilizer down or even away until the water starts to come back,” Skillin said.
And due to the dry weather, many yards look brown.
But you can help your lawn for next year by overseeding it in the fall.
“End of September, October you can overseed your lawn and as that water’s in, the perennial grasses will sort of germinate over the winter, and you’ll have a thicker lawn in the spring,” Skillin said.
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