Rain Taking A Toll On Northeast Ohio Plants, Too

Rainfall in Northeast Ohio is more than three inches above normal for the month of June, and it’s having a harmful effect on trees and plants, as well as the livelihoods of the professionals who care for them.

“With all this rain that’s happening, and we’re not alone in this boat, a lot of the landscapers cannot get into people’s yards to actually do the landscaping work,” said J.R. Pandy, vice president of Pandy’s Premier Garden Center, Landscaping, and Seed Company. “You’re literally pushing mud around and planting in puddles.”

The moisture brings harmful fungi and insects as well as other organisms that can be dangerous for trees, Pandy says. His nursery has sprayed to ward off bugs and funugs more this year than ever before in its history.

“What we’re starting to see now is a lot of Phytophthora, which is root rot, at the base of the trees. So when the roots are gone, the plant can’t sustain life, and a lot of things are dying out there,” Pandy said.

He recommends applying fertilizer once the rains dry out, allowing plants to have food and build new root systems.

There's one organism Pandy says is enjoying all this rain – weeds!

“This year, we’re seeing just an influx of weeds like we’ve never seen before,” he said. “All this moisture is a perfect germination bed for all these weed seeds to come up, and they’re coming out with a vengeance.”

The National Weather Service expects showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night as well as heavy rainfall Thursday.