Tomatoes like hot weather—but not this hot and not this dry. Experts agree prevailing drought conditions in the Chicago metro area will affect the production of fruits. And that means those BLT sandwiches might not be as plentiful—or as tasty—as usual, ei
Under the prevailing drought conditions, local arborist Heather Green said she would sacrifice some or all of her annuals and perennials for a BLT. Well, not exactly. Green, head of the The Village of Oak Lawn’s forestry division, said she’d pick saving her tomatoes over some of her other seasonal plants if push came to shove during the trying times that have forced gardeners in the Chicago metro area to make difficult choices. She said rainfall totals for the year were running at about half the pace of 2011 through mid-July (11.61 inches to 21.68), according to a study done by the Morton Arboretum. “It really depends on the watering ban that your town is in,” Green said. “I’d probably let my annuals go, let some of my perennials that are …
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Village of Oak Lawn
9446 Raymond Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
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Local arborist, master gardener agree: Let your lawn go dormant. Focus your watering attention on the more costly items in your yard—trees and shrubs. And be smart about your watering methods.
Because of record-setting heat and prevailing drought conditions throughout much of the Chicago metro area, many local gardeners have been called upon to establish MASH unit-like priority lists. What plants get water and TLC? What plants are left to fend for themselves? Why not ask the experts? Heather Green, an arborist with The Village of Oak Lawn, and Heather Blackmore, a master gardener with the University of Illinois extension service, agree the first thing you need to do is let your lawn go dormant. “You can allow your grass to go dormant and it will do so on its own without any rainfall or irrigation after about six weeks,” Blackmore said. “It will turn brown. Most lawns look pretty crispy, pretty burned out this summer. By the …
41.720505
-87.752695
Village of Oak Lawn
9446 Raymond Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/gardening-5-watering-tips-to-help-you-survive-the-drought
327793
/locations/7471296
andy skoundrianos
10:19 pm on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
If you have a sprinkler system and don't mind a big water bill especially in Oak Lawn where I live,you can still have a green lawn. If you fertilize in the cool spring months,keep the grass high,which shades the crowns of the grass plants and promotes deeper root growth,your lawn can survive. Blue grass which most people have for their lawns is a cool season grass, but it also needs more water … more ›