NewsLocal NewsIn Your Neighborhood

Actions

Rainfall brings relief and challenges to Central Texas gardens and nurseries

Posted

BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — Brazos County has experienced multiple rainy days in July — this rainy weather can be both a good thing and bad thing for local gardens and nurseries.

  • Some positives from rain include: hydration, nutrient delivery, enhanced growth, and natural cleaning
  • Some negatives from too much rain include: washing out of plants, fungal diseases, breaking of plants, and erosion in soil

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

"That's a million dollar rain yesterday," said Horticulturist, James Alan Reeder.

Texans have seen their fair share of rain in Brazos County this July — the rainy weather brings both blessings and challenges to local gardens and nurseries.

"Just cut off your additional water and just let the good Lord take care of that water," Reeder said.

A local plant nursery in Grimes County shared on Facebook that they closed early for the season due to the weather.

15ABC reached out to Mark Scarmardo, a manager at Farm Patch in Bryan, about both the positive and negatives of the rain.

"All the rain right now has really been helpful as far as the garden center," Scarmardo said.

"Not only does it water the plants, rainwater is obviously the best thing for these plants, keeping them looking good."

But —

"You can kill plants just as quick over-watering them, just as quick as not watering them at all," he said.

"I mean, too much rain, certain plants, you can knock all your blooms off if it's that heavy of a rain," Scarmardo said.

"Washing plants out that have just been planted is another thing."

A horticulturist from Oklahoma visiting Bryan says the best way to take care of plants is to understand their specific wants.

"If you don't know your plants by now, they're going to die and tell you about it," Reeder said.

"Just pay attention — make sure you know what you're planting, what the plant likes, try to put it in the best spot," Scarmardo said.