Let’s talk Maryland weather. The last two years notwithstanding, our winters tend to be fairly mild. That’s the upside. On the downside, our summers are brutally hot and humid with a great deal of rain from mid-May to late June. The grass is green as green can be, and gardens thrive. But then, the waterworks stop. From July through mid-September, Maryland enters a dry season. And that’s when things get dicey.

With no rain, your grass starts to get crispy, leaves begin to curl on shrubs and container gardens need constant care. Watering can become a part-time job during the Maryland summer but there are easier and more effective methods.

The Lawn

When it comes to lawns, odds are your lawn is Tall Fescue, a type of grass dominant in this area. It tends to go dormant this time of year, due to the heat and drought, but it bounces back when the rains return in fall. To nurse your lawn through this tough period, it requires at least an inch of water per week which means sprinklers. We have a wide assortment of sprinklers–rotary, oscillating, turret, whirling, ring, pattern, tripod and more—we have the right sprinkler for every lawn scenario.

Trees and Shrubs

The secret to watering any type of plant in hot weather is deep watering every few days as opposed to shallow watering every day. For smaller trees and shrubs, this is where the Tree Gator® comes in. The Tree Gator wraps around the trunk of trees and shrubs providing a slow drip of 20 gallons of water over five to nine hours. There is absolutely no better way to water a smaller tree. For larger trees, we carry soaker bubblers which attach to the end of hoses for slowly watering larger trees.

Gardens and Flower Beds

Soaker hoses may be the best way to water annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables. Laid in half-loops throughout the garden, either above or below mulch, soaker hoses “sweat” water slowly, directly over the roots of plants. This is an extremely cost-effective and efficient way to water, although it is best to lay the hoses out very early in the season, before the plants emerge.

Watering Tools and Timers

We also carry an extremely large array of watering tools–nozzles, adapters, connectors, all kinds of hoses, repair kits, reels, sprinkler/rain gauges–whatever you need, we have it! And, best of all, we carry timers to take the guesswork out of watering! Set your schedule and walk away.

Watering during the Dog Days of Summer is so important. But we can help take the work out of it!