Gardening Tips by Bob Beyfuss

Well, we got very lucky as Hurricane Sandy wreak­ed its havoc on the New Jersey coast and New York City. Most of us expected this to be the case last year when Irene arrived, but this time the roles were reversed. We, more than most people, know what a horror the city people are ex­periencing. As a former New Jersey resident, it is very sad to see places on the Jersey Shore, where I spent much time in my youth, destroyed. This week I had my generator all set to go but never had to start it up. The salvaged firewood from trees that Irene blew down will keep me nice and warm this fall.

Time to Plant Bulbs!

Dyed grass?
No, the title of this week’s column is not a misprint. I recently heard about a technique for having your lawn look as green and vibrant now as it was back in May. Although parts of our region have received four inches of rain, or more, from the recent thunderstorms, much of the rain ran off before it really was absorbed by the soil. Some places, such as my hillside, only got one inch or so. Some lawns are turning green once again as a result, but others will remain brown until cooler, wetter weather arrives.

Drought
The weatherman is calling for severe weather today as I write this on July 26. I hope that includes some significant rain and not just wind, lightning and hail!
Much of the region has had some beneficial thunderstorms this past week but we are still seriously dry as is most of the country. Heavy rain that falls too quickly often runs off before it can percolate into the soil. We need slow, sustained, three or four days of rain to begin to relieve the current situation.

When is it ripe?