Caring for Gardens After a Flood
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Posted by Jamie McIntosh Jul 21, 2009 |
As we wound our way through the Tallahassee museum, a zoo of indigenous Florida wildlife, it was apparent that we were going to get wet. The black bears and alligators looked on indifferently as we trotted through the downpour, heading for shelter that was at least a 15-minute walk away. I held my four-year-old’s hand, trying to keep him from stumbling in the deep puddles.
Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder with a simultaneous bolt of lightening stupefied me. I was surprised by the noise that came out of my mouth: Not the sort of shrill, sexy scream that a woman in distress might make in a movie. It was more like the whoop a 73-year-old woman might make when she’s decided to belly-flop into a pool, realizing at the last second she’s made a mistake. At last, we reached our shelter, leaving the deer and a gray fox for another day’s viewing.
Daily thunderstorms are common in Florida in the summertime, but surplus rain can be problematic in the garden. If your garden has seen excessive rain or even flooding, practice damage control:
- Don’t work wet soil, as it compacts easily.
- Gently replace soil that has washed away from plants and exposed roots.
- Fertilize lightly to replace nutrients that heavy rains deplete.
- Discard any produce that may be contaminated by sewage from floodwaters.