Summer 2022 saw record levels of heat and drought across most of the United States and throughout the world. Gardens, trees, lawns, and landscapes experienced elevated levels of stress, with browning turf, wilting shrubs, and leaf drop as common sights throughout the country. With the fall planting season upon us, increasing moisture levels and cooler temperatures encourage us to begin planning for winter survival, to assure that plants will be healthy and thriving next spring. We offer specialized fall recovery programs to help you in that effort.
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Improving root health, increasing soil moisture retention, and restoring soil microbial activity go a long way towards preparing plants for overwintering. Whether you are in a climate with a harsh winter beset by snow, freezing grounds, and low humidity, or one with mild winters coming off of drought and intense summer heat and stress, ensuring better root and soil health will ensure your plants and turf are ready to go come spring.

For trees and shrubs, we recommend soil injections in September and October to help strengthen roots and enhance soil structure. Products such as NutriRoot and Bio MP will provide carbon and other nutrition to the soil, bolstering microbial activity and long term soil health. Hydretain will help with water retention in soil, which is especially important after the dry summer months, and in preparation for colder and uncertain winter weather when the air is frequently less humid and the ground may freeze, limiting moisture for broad-leafed evergreens. NutriRoot also contains Hydretain, but using both products will give plants an extra boost in water preservation, not just in restoring root health, but also reducing water use and associated costs.

Using NutriRoot provides greater vigor to plants and roots, increasing nutrient uptake.

For turf recovery, Bio MP should serve as the basis of any program for most conditions. This molasses-based product provides excellent carbon support for microbes, especially in soils with low organic matter, or where drought or compaction have compromised soil health. CytoGro should be used to stimulate root activity and root regrowth. CytoGro is derived from seaweed extracts, and it promotes denser root systems, minimizes freezing desiccation in winter, and increases stress tolerance.

Regardless of the program you chose, you should make a second application of treatments after 6 weeks. A treatment in September and October in northern climes is ideal, while southern areas might want to wait until October and November.

Using CytoGro on turf will yield bigger and stronger roots that are more efficient at absorbing nutrients

The work you do now can reduce the repair and replacement work you face during next year’s busy spring, reduce customer dissatisfaction, and better prepare turf and plants for whatever comes next summer! Keep our recovery programs and products in mind as you begin winding down for the season and think ahead towards plant recovery before you plan for the 2023 growing season.

For more in-depth information on our suggested programs, see our most recent document.