Garden Show Update – Watering for Great Results

Without the tender loving care of water and the right nutrients and control of your plants and trees, you won't be able to achieve this lovely Variegated Samaritan Dogwood at the home of Bob Coward, co-host of the Garden Show on WBCK.

Bob told me that he had planted the tree as part of a segment on an Accessvision show with one of the former hosts of the Garden Show (and former Battle Creek City Commissioner) Chris Simmons over a decade ago on Veteran's Day. Now, the dogwood sees no signs of stress, even through a few years since its planting of drought.

This year, as summer arrives in over a week, the unseasonable temperatures and the continued lack of precipitation as forced avid growers and landscapers the task of added more water than they usually do, especially to trees. Trees really need the moisture now and can really use some with the lack of water from the skies.

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There is no more need to reiterate the drought-like conditions in Michigan. Compared to last week's drought monitor, this week's drought status is considerable different in the wrong direction. The National Drought Mitigation Center reports that the Wolverine State is in 93 percent drought (see below). The only areas not in drought are in the Upper Peninsula, southwest of Escanaba, west of Ishpeming, Copper Harbor and Isle Royale. The most severe drought (in orange) is stretching from northern Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties to the northeast through Mid-Michigan and into the Thumb. The Sleeping Bear Dunes area, including Frankfort and just north of Manistee, is also part of the severe drought.

The rain won't come soon enough, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is granting a better scenario when it comes to precipitation (below). NOAA is predicting above normal precipitation for the final full week of June, but it still not be enough to catch the area up for the amount of we are lacking for 2021. Depending on where you are in the Battle Creek area, you may have received just short of two inches of rain (Bedford Township) or a half-inch (Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field). For the year, based on the 25-year average of precipitation, we are still 6.74 inches behind this year (16.64 inches average to currently 9.9 inches).

With more information on how to grow better fruit trees, knocking out invasive weeds like poison ivy and Oriental bittersweet, and preparing to grow squash and pumpkins, Bob Coward has the low-down in this week's Garden Show Update.

Be sure to tune in to the Garden Show every Saturday during the spring and summer months on 95.3 WBCK. Call 269-441-9595 with your gardening question, email co-host Nathan Adams or join us through the App Chat function on the WBCK app.