Here, spot !! That's what I felt like yelling as I watched it rain just a few feet from my house. Isn't it amazing how those spotty showers can come through and leave you dry as a bone or almost washed away. I remember once driving into town in the rain and the railroad track being the wet/dry line.
So you may have some decisions to make as to what projects you may tackle when possible rain is expected or a quick shower has occurred. Some of these activities may include cutting the grass, fertilizing or broadcasting insect or weed control.
As a general rule, you should never cut grass when it's wet. First of all, it's not good for your lawnmower. Belts, blades, engines and transmissions are all put under way more stress in wet conditions. The grass will suffer as well. Tires will cut ruts and tear out patches of grass, blades will rip and tear instead of cutting through the wet grass, and the clippings will clump and make a pile instead of spreading over the lawn.
Fertilizer and insecticides may not be as risky to put out before a rain as you might think. These products, generally, fall into two groups, granular and liquid.
Granular products do not work until they begin to dissolve. A little, unexpected rain shower may even help them on their way. Even a heavy rain will probably not hurt too much as the granules will probably sink down into the soil and be held in place by grass and roots.
Liquid product will usually have a built-in provision for sticking to plants. If these products have the opportunity to dry on the plants before a rain comes, they may still be very effective.
I'm really glad to see these recent spotty showers, and I hope they keep coming, even if they do miss my house. Right now the grass is flourishing in most places, and I know the farmers would like to see that hay grow into a late-season cutting. Remember, help is just around the corner at your local hardware store.
