As reported previously, Portland International Airport set a rainfall record for December through March at 31.3 inches. Normal rainfall for the airport during the same period is 17.7 inches. This makes the dry forecast much appreciated.
Although landscaping activities any time of year are challenging, this past March was one of the most challenging ever. We received
measurable
rain on 26 of the 31 days of the month and a total of 30% more than normal.
Mowing was the biggest challenge as the soil at many sites was saturated and we were challenged with either letting the lawn get shaggy or rutting things up with our mower tires. Luckily the recent dry weather has allowed us to bet back on track with normal weekly mowing and lawns are starting to look groomed and attractive again.
The other biggest impact of the rain has been the impact to seasonal color plantings. Pansies are hardy but struggle with wet weather as soil borne disease is difficult to control. Despite our aggressive management program including frequent fungicide treatments, we do see disease on some of our plantings. We have been experimenting with completely replacing soil instead of just supplementing and this has been a successful strategy. For those projects that had disease problems this year, we will propose soil replacement at the fall change out.
We are excited for spring and now that the sun is shining, we are sure you are too. Spring is the most exciting time in the landscape and hope you enjoy the work we are doing to help your landscape shine!
