Pamela J. Bennett
Jane C. Martin
The growing season of 2000 was one of abundant moisture and cooler than normal temperatures across most of Ohio, a welcome relief after the drought of 1999. Many Extension agents who participated in the weekly conference calls for the Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL) generally agreed that the summer was "outstanding" with cooler than normal temperatures, adequate rainfall, and a good growing season. Of course, rainfall was reported as variable across counties or regions, with a few areas receiving below normal rainfall.
January and March averaged below normal precipitation, while February and April were well above normal. Wet conditions continued into May and June, and in some areas, abundant moisture inhibited soil preparation for planting. May brought with it temperatures in the high 80ºsF and near summer-like conditions. In June, July, and August, rainfall and temperatures were such that lawns did not go dormant in much of the state and were mowed through the entire summer season. Temperatures rarely reached 90ºF this summer, a stark contrast to last season's higher than normal temperatures.
At the end of December 1999, six of the 10 regions of the state were still in drought categories according to the Palmer Drought Severity Index. At the end of March, two regions of Ohio, Northwest and Northeast Hills, were still considered in "severe drought." The Central and West Central regions were in "moderate drought," and the Northeast and Southwest regions were in "mild drought." The other four regions were near normal. By the end of September 2000, only the Central region was listed as "near normal," while the other nine Ohio regions were no longer considered to be in drought categories, but ranged from "incipient moist spell" to "moist spell" categories.
An overview of the state's weather conditions from January through September is presented in the following report.
This report includes a compilation of Ohio weather conditions and noteworthy environmentally-induced and cultural plant problems in 2000. Observations were drawn from information provided in Ohio State University Extension's Buckeye Yard and Garden Line, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Monthly Water Inventory Report, and information from the State Climatologist's Office for Ohio.
Weather Background
This section discusses precipitation and temperature reports for the season. At the end of this section is a table of statewide precipitation from January-September, and average temperatures and departures from normal for three locations in the state, April-September.
Precipitation in January was 96% of normal, with rain falling the first half of the month and snow in the second half. A storm passed through Ohio on January 20, dropping 4"- 8" of snow across the state. Precipitation in February occurred as snow the first week of the month, then changed to rain for the remainder. The highest rainfall was recorded at the Marietta State Nursery (Washington County) at 7.74".
Precipitation in March was about 0.90" below normal on average across the state. The first 10 days of the month were dry, with a wintry mix falling March 11-12. Most of the precipitation in March was in the form of rain.
April produced above normal rainfall, and most fell in the first three weeks with little or no rain in the last week. Storms occurred on April 2-4, 7-8, and 20-21, delivering heavy rainfall. BYGL participants commented on the cooler than normal weather in April, with ice and snow storms in mid April in parts of northern Ohio.
Heavy rainfall also fell in May. Rainfall was reported every week in May, beginning with a storm on May 1 that delivered 0.5"-1.0" across most of Ohio. The town of Stryker (Williams County) reported the greatest rainfall total for May with 7.54". Many gardeners lamented that they could not get out in May to till gardens or plant because of wet soil. Temperatures in May were above normal, with highs going into the high 80ºsF in many locations.
June rainfall was also above normal for Ohio. Van Wert (Van Wert County) reported the greatest amount of rainfall in June at 9.23". Stryker had 8.98", and Sandusky (Erie County) had 8.32". Only two locations in Ohio, Washington and Coshocton counties, reported less than 2.0" of rainfall for June. Temperatures spiked into the high 80ºsF and hit 90ºF in a few locations.
July precipitation was nearly normal across the state and fell in typical summer fashion as scattered showers and thunderstorms with occasional, locally heavy downpours. The most notable storm occurred on July 11, as strong storms with damaging winds and heavy rain affected the south-central areas of the state, with some flooding reported.
According to a report in the July 18 Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati was the wettest city in Ohio with 29.5" of rain so far this year, followed by Akron with 28.8"; Dayton was the driest city in Ohio with a total of 19.5". A sort of "mini-drought" occurred late in July as rainfall ceased in some areas after rather consistent rainfall during the season.
July temperatures were bearable, especially compared to 1999. Toledo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati reported no days of 90ºF or above so far in the season, while Columbus had only two 90ºF days in June and none in July. A record (low) high of 68ºF was recorded in Columbus on July 19.
August precipitation was slightly above normal, and fell as scattered showers and thunderstorms. Though many parts of the state remained above normal in precipitation for the year, a few areas were below normal for August. Temperatures stayed in the 80ºsF for August, with few reports of 90ºF.
September precipitation was above normal, though the first nine days of the month were rather dry. On September 20 a storm system moved through the state and produced severe thunderstorms accompanied by damaging winds and tornadoes, especially across west-central and central Ohio. Hardest hit was Xenia (Greene County) where a tornado struck.
Fall-like temperatures arrived the first weekend of the month. By mid-month, high temperatures had cooled off to the 60ºsF to 70ºsF range, with nighttime lows falling into the 40ºsF. A record low of 41ºF was set for Cincinnati on September 17.
| Statewide Precipitation - January Through September 2000 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Month | Ave. Inches Precipitation | Percent of Normal |
| January | 2.64 | 96 |
| February | 3.17 | 142 |
| March | 2.48 | 73 |
| April | 4.19 | 119 |
| May | 4.91 | 131 |
| June | 4.79 | 121 |
| July | 3.79 | 97 |
| August | 3.89 | 112 |
| September | 3.88 | 129 |
| Data from Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Monthly Water Inventory Reports. | ||
| Average Temperatures and Departures from Normal - April Through September 2000 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | Columbus | Cincinnati | ||||
| Mo. | Avg. Temp F°* | Departure F° | Avg. Temp F°* | Departure F° | Avg. Temp F°* | Departure F° |
| April | 47.0 | -0.6 | 50.9 | +0.2 | 52.3 | -1.0 |
| May | 61.5 | +3.5 | 64.9 | +3.7 | 65.4 | +2.5 |
| June | 68.6 | +1.0 | 71.6 | +2.4 | 71.3 | +0.3 |
| July | 68.0 | -3.9 | 72.4 | -0.8 | 72.6 | -2.5 |
| Aug. | 68.9 | -1.5 | 71.3 | -0.2 | 72.3 | -1.2 |
| Sept. | 63.1 | -0.8 | 64.8 | -0.7 | 64.8 | -2.5 |
| * Average temperature is an average of all high and low temperatures recorded daily for the given location. | ||||||
Data for Cleveland were taken from: www.csuohio.edu/nws/climate/cle/climatecle.html
Data for Columbus and Cincinnati were taken from: www.nws.noaa.gov/er/iln/lcdpage.htm
| Number of Days 90°F or Above - April Through September 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 |
| Columbus | 2 |
| Cincinnati | 4 |
Stressed and Dead Trees
Especially early in the season, numerous reports came from across the state concerning trees that were in the process of dying or already dead. The trees included spruces, white and Austrian pines, crabapples, and birches. Causes of decline were attributed to drought, improper horticultural practices, poor choices and wrong locations for plants, mechanical injuries, insects, disease, combinations of these, and so forth.
Many of the trees were suspected to have been severely damaged from the drought in 1999 and had just enough stored energy for leaf emergence, but not sustained health.
River Birch Woes
There have been numerous reports over the past few years regarding river birch problems in the landscape. During the summer of 1998, for instance, these trees exhibited leaf yellowing and some leaf drop by mid-summer and again after a hot, dry spell in August. This past season, there were calls concerning trees that were leafing out lighter green than normal and exhibiting twig dieback.
It was speculated that this was related to stress from last season's drought and/or poor establishment of younger trees. River birch requires abundant moisture during establishment for roots to grow into the native soil. It prefers fertile, acidic soil with a pH below 6.5. Iron chlorosis is evident if pH is higher. The plant is heat tolerant but not drought tolerant. During dry years such as 1999, it shed interior leaves in response to lack of moisture. Once again, emphasis must be placed on the proper location for successful plant establishment.
Shade Tree Chlorosis
Reports of shade tree chlorosis (especially on pin oak, birches, red maple, and white pine) continued this season. Interveinal chlorosis was a common sight and was linked to micronutrient deficiency (iron, manganese). High amounts of rainfall this season limited root growth; thus poor nutrient uptake resulted. In these situations, there may be adequate soil nutrients, but they are not being taken up by the plant.
A soil test will reveal availability in the soils while a tissue sample is necessary to determine what minerals are deficient in the plants.
Perennial Gardens in Bloom All at Once
Most woody ornamentals appeared to be blooming on schedule according to records from Secrest Arboretum bloom times in past years. Perennials, on the other hand, appeared to be blooming earlier than normal in many cases. In mid-June it was noted that all of the early, mid-season, and late daylilies, for instance, were fairly close to blooming all at once. Many gardeners reported this occurrence in perennial beds and that it continued throughout the growing season.
What Is That???
Mushrooms of unusual and colorful species were also spotted at various times throughout the season. Due to ample moisture conditions, many species of basidiomycete fungi produced their fruiting structures - mushrooms.
Some of the mushrooms were reportedly 10-12" tall with caps that were 10" in diameter. These are usually associated with decaying organic matter such as stumps and dead tree roots under the soils. They could also be related to thick thatch layers in the turf.
There are no chemicals labeled for control; the recommendation is to keep mowing or raking to destroy the mushrooms - or enjoy their unusual beauty.