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claireplymouth

UMass Extension Landscape Message November 1, 2013

UMass Extension Landscape Message November 1, 2013

One consistent theme - Massachusetts soils are DRY!:

"Cape Cod Region (Barnstable):
October has continued to be extremely dry - with less than an inch of rainfall occurring in the Marstons Mills area.
....
The Cape has been in something of a water deficit since July. Many automatic irrigation systems have been shut down and blown out while plants are still in need of water. Broadleaf evergreens are particularly vulnerable to winter damage if they are not watered up until the ground begins to freeze, which on the Cape doesn't occur until December in most years. Encourage clients to manually water their landscapes if their systems are shut off.

Southeast Region (Wareham):
October has been a very dry month in Southeastern Massachusetts.
....
Non irrigated plants in the landscape and turfgrass on lawns are showing signs of water stress. Gardeners and landscapers should continue to water newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials before the ground freezes to avoid drought stress that can cause damage to the plants during the winter.

Southeast Region (Hanson):
Hanson received 0.17 inches of rain over the past 4 weeks, bringing the total since July 11th to only 4.50 inches of rain! Soils are extremely dry and plants, like rhododendrons and other broad-leaved evergreens, are wilting. Remind clients to continue to water plants, especially those planted or transplanted this season.

East Region (Boston):
The soil is extremely dry. Recent transplants are showing signs of stress. Recently seeded areas which germinated during September and into mid-October are struggling despite their growth and are in need of supplemental watering.

Metro West (Acton):
Lack of precipitation is a major concern. Just over a 1/2" of rain was recorded for the entire month for the Metro West area when the average October monthly precipitation is 4.32".

Central Region (Boylston):
Conditions are very dry so it is important to continue to irrigate, especially new transplants and evergreens, until the ground freezes.

Pioneer Valley Region (Amherst):
On average, conditions this autumn have been drier and warmer than we typically experience in the Pioneer Valley (http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/)

Berkshire Region (Great Barrington):
October was very mild, but also very dry, though moist weather is expected with the arrival of November."

Claire

edit note: nitpicking typo correction

This post was edited by claire on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 11:01