A Meterology Delight

This year as summer transitioned to fall, we were blessed with a few days of unusually early fall rain.  In some areas of Solano County almost two inches of precipitation fell after only a few days in late September and early October.  A benefit of the rain was that Solano’s turf and native grasses were transformed from being burned out, parched, and dangerously flammable to being lush, spring-like, and full of new light green growth hues and vigor.  The areas in my turf garden that were worn down quickly filled in with new growth now covering the previously bare patches caused by the late summer’s heat.  The timing on the rains could not have come at a better time for a lot of us, most specifically me.  My office was recently moved 50 miles farther from home and with the long hours commuting between there and Fairfield I had been neglecting my turf garden.  I intended to find some time to water and fertilize my Fescue/Bluegrass blend to prepare for the fall, but I had not gotten around to it before the rains came.  Needless to say, I think I can put off my fertilizer regiment until the end of November without worry.  Solano County doesn’t often get nature’s showers until November or December so it was a unique nitrogen-rich phenomenon this year that many of our gardens benefitted from.

My turf. (photo by Ed Walbolt)

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