(WXMI) — Ottawa County is currently experiencing a 3.5-inch rainfall deficit since June 1 and is in a moderate drought, which is putting stress on garden plants and containers that require consistent care.
Daily watering is crucial during hot and dry conditions.
"Even if we do get rainfall, the misconception is 'Oh, it rained last night. I don't have to water today.' And a lot of times, what we get in rainfall is okay for maybe established plants, but usually it's not that good deep water, especially when we've been without rain for so long," W.W. Greenhouses manager Dave Brouwer said.
Brouwer emphasized that consistent watering helps limit stress on plants during drought conditions. He says it's nearly impossible to overwater plants that have proper drainage when temperatures reach 90 degrees
Beyond watering, fertilizing becomes equally important during dry spells to replace nutrients that leach out of the soil.
"The more we water, the more of those nutrients will leach out of the soil, and the plant struggles. And so feeding with fertilizer, that's just really almost as important as watering," Brouwer said.
Experts recommend replenishing nutrients up to once a week to keep plants healthy through the summer heat.
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