Each gardening season seems to offer new growing challenges. Our gardens are exposed to more drastic and variable weather with changing weather patterns. Floods, droughts, wind, temperature extremes and unseasonable weather episodes can have immediate and long-term impacts on our plants.
Monitoring and noting these occurrences will help you diagnose immediate and future plant and garden problems. It also reminds us to adjust plant maintenance when these stressors occur and watch for potential insect, disease and plant decline that may appear in the future. Create your own weather station with a rain gauge, snow gauge and high-low thermometer.
These gauges monitor the conditions in your backyard as opposed to those reported for nearby locations. Having information from your yard allows you to make any needed adjustments to watering and care to help your plants thrive. Record significant weather extremes that can negatively impact plant health and longevity.
Check with local nature centers, botanical gardens and extension services for gardening calendars. Many include information on significant weather events in your area. You can then add your observations for future reference.
Refer to this information as needed in the future to help diagnose plant problems that may result from these extremes. Large trees and other established plantings are often overlooked when weather extremes occur. Extended dry periods, temperature extremes and flooding can stress and weaken these plants .
