Here we go again – 2019 has started off with thunder showers by mid-February and a forecast for more! Last year, Georgia had the second highest rainfall on record, so you can image the headaches of properties with unmanageable wet soil. However, SKB Industries and other industry professionals found themselves having to find work arounds to beat the rain!
When it comes to adhering to scheduled maintenance and installation projects, rain can be a huge delay factor. If mowers, crew or other landscape equipment are operated on saturated soil and wet conditions, this can cause major damages to the properties landscape. Working with wet soil can damage the performance of the soil and create a multitude of problems for the future of the landscape.
Too much water is as bad for most trees and plants as too little water. When soil becomes too wet and stays waterlogged (saturated with or full of water), the water can cut off the air supply to the roots and can lead to diseases like root rot. This is because plants differ in their demand for oxygen, but the lack of oxygen causes the root tissue to decompose causing decay and nutrient deficiencies.
The performance of soil is a key factor in a healthy landscape but too much moisture can be damaging. For example, if the soil is too wet, this can cause the root ball of a tree to dry out after the moisture has left the soil. This starts to stress the tree and stunts its growth way before the guarantee period. Grubs can also become a problem in these areas because insects such as beetles lay eggs in very moist conditions.
The best approach to excessive rainfall is to be patience with your commercial landscape provider and with your landscape. Dryer soil reduces stress on landscapes when maintenance or installations are being performed. Holding out on certain tasks such as mowing in really wet conditions can reduce the amount of problems your landscape could face in the future.
