Show #101 - Excessive Rainfall and Lawn Care: Fertilizing, Weed Control, and Fall Renovation Tips

How Excessive Rainfall Impacts Lawns and Fall Lawn Care

This has been the wettest year since 2018, and while water is vital, too much can harm lawns, trees, and garden plants. Heavy rainfall washes away nutrients, encourages weeds, and stresses trees. The solution? Balanced fertilization, proper weed control, and smart fall renovation practices.

Why Excess Rainfall Harms Lawns and Trees

• Each watering or rainfall dilutes soil nutrients.
• Trees like oaks may pump a ton of water daily, but still starve without food.
• In 2018, millions of trees died from nutrient depletion despite adequate rainfall.
• Boxwood blight and other diseases thrive in wet, nutrient-starved conditions.

Fertilizers with WIN (Water Insoluble Nitrogen)

• Prevent nutrients from leaching away during wet years.
• Recommended products: Turf Trust, Garden Trust, Show Turf, Agriform Tablets.
• Maintain consistent feeding even in heat or rain.

Recognizing Nutrient Deficiency in Trees and Plants

• Poor flower bud set.
• Faded foliage color.
• Stunted annual growth visible on branch tips.
• Declining growth trend from feet to inches indicates long-term stress.

Cautionary Tale

• Shade trees unfertilized for decades risk collapse.
• Fertilization every few years can prevent dangerous tree decline.

Weeds Thrive After Heavy Rainfall

• Wet years trigger extreme weed seed germination.
• Oak and maple seedlings may even sprout in lawns.
• For broadleaf weeds: Fertilome Weed Free Zone.
• For grassy weeds (crabgrass, goosegrass, nutsedge): Image All-in-One + Wilt-Pruf.
  • Mix: 4 oz per gallon of water + 1 oz Wilt-Pruf.
  • Morning dew (7–9 AM) is the best time to spray.
  • Seed and fertilize immediately after spraying.
  • Dying weeds act as natural straw cover.

Why Add Wilt-Pruf?

• Ensures 100% coverage on plant contact.
• Waterproofs the spray, even in rain or dew.
• Protects pollinators (prevents chemicals from sticking to clover nectar).

Step One in Lawn Renovation: Kill Weeds

• Every inch of soil now contains hundreds of weed seeds due to rainfall.
• Image All-in-One handles most grassy weeds.
• Fertilome Weed Free Zone works best on leafy weeds in shade.
• Add McGill’s Soil Builder, Greenview Grass Seed Accelerator, or Kick-Start to speed germination.

Zombie Weeds to Watch For

• Wire grass (Bermuda)
• Stilt grass
• Nimblewill
• Poa trivialis
• Poa annua

These require specialized herbicides—consult Betty’s Weed Solutions Guide or bring samples to your local garden center.

Fall Planting and Flower Care Tips

• Wait until Sept. 1–7 before planting mums (when colors show).
• Pansies perform best after Sept. 15, when cooler weather arrives.
• Use Garden Trust fertilizer with trace zinc (.05%) for pansies.
• Refresh annuals and perennials with fertilizer and light deadheading.

By balancing fertilization, weed control, and fall lawn renovation, you can offset the damage caused by excessive rainfall. Focus on feeding your lawn and trees, controlling weeds at the root, and planting at the right time for a healthy, vibrant landscape this fall.