Gardening experts recommend planting new items for fall

SYCAMORE TWP, Ohio - This weekend's rainfall was a welcome sight for lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers as many in the Tri-State have been waiting weeks for mother nature's moisture.

At Bloomin Garden Centr e in Sycamore Township, owner Chris McKeown says the more rain we get, the better.

"The first batch of rain we're going to get if it's heavy, because the ground is so hard, isn't going to be all that beneficial because it's going to run off so fast so we are really hoping for a long period of rain at a slower pace because that's what we really need to absorb into the ground," said McKeown.

The drought has taken a toll on some trees and shrubs with their leaves turning brown and falling off earlier than expected. It's estimated we are currently more than eight inches below normal rainfall for the year.

"You really need to take some corrective steps in terms of watering and maybe look at fertilizing later in the year to make sure the established stuff is healthy for next year," said McKeown.

As the fall season approaches, now is a good time to clear out plants lost to the drought.

"Fall is the best time of the year to plant, no matter what the circumstances even better than the spring because you've got the warm soil, cool air and hopefully we get into a weather pattern where we get a lot of natural moisture like we do in the fall," said McKeown.