Most of the state of Nebraska is either abnormally dry or approaching some level of drought. As the dry and mild winter continues, Sarah Browning with Nebraska Extension says there are some steps you can start taking around your home.
“Now that temperatures have warmed again, it’s a good idea to start watering your trees, shrubs, perennials and turf,” Browning says. “Some people will think that if they start watering will that cause plants to start growing and make them more susceptible to damage from a late spring freeze or a normal spring freeze, and the answer is no.”
Browning says you can give trees a good deep soaking once a month as long as air temperatures are above 40 and the soil isn’t frozen. “You can go out with a screw driver and push it down into the soil and check to see if there is much frost in the ground. If there is not, then go ahead and do some deep soaking to try and get that moisture level down to about a 12-18 inch level.”
She says turf only needs a half an inch of water twice a month until the spring rains begin. “We want people’s plants to come out looking good in the spring and not have any winter damage so putting some extra water on now can avoid that.”