Everybody enjoys walking their property in the spring. It’s cool outside, the wildflowers are blooming, the grass is lush, and everything looks alive.
But if you really want to understand your land, July is when it starts telling the truth.
The heat exposes weaknesses you never notice during cooler weather. Problems that have been quietly developing all year suddenly become obvious.
A slow walk across your property this month can prevent thousands of dollars in repairs later.
So, let’s start with your water. Not just ponds but the creeks, drainage ditches, culverts, water troughs, and other low areas.
Look for fresh erosion, washed-out crossings from spring storms, exposed roots, plugged culverts, and signs of beaver activity. We certainly had some heavy spring rains and storms, which can create problems that don’t become obvious until vegetation begins drying.
Then spend a few minutes walking around your pond. We’ll look for pond scum (filamentous algae), duckweed, other problematic aquatic weeds, excessively muddy water, fish at the surface early in the morning (low oxygen indication), burrowing in the pond dam, and erosion around the spillway.
Summer is when many pond problems first become obvious.
Next, we’ll walk our pastures. July tells you whether your grazing program is working.
Look for bare soil, overgrazing, weed problems, poisonous plants, brush beginning to establish and our desirable grasses getting thinner or disappearing. Look for areas where desirable grasses have been replaced by less productive species such as Smutgrass or Vaseygrass.
In your landscape or pine plantation, summer makes stressed trees easy to spot.
Watch for dead tops, limbs losing leaves, lightning damage, pine beetle activity, and newly leaning trees (or fallen completely over) after storms.
A tree that quietly dies today often becomes tomorrow’s fence repair or roof repair.
Then we’ll walk every fence. Not drive. Walk. You’ll look for loose staples, broken wires, hog damage, washouts, wildlife digging under, and places where cattle are beginning to test weak spots.
Repairs are usually inexpensive when caught early.
Regarding wildlife, you’ll notice what is—and isn’t—using your property. Carefully look for deer trails, feral hog damage, pollinators, and any unusual wildlife activity. I was riding through a property recently and the landowner and I scared up several buzzards from the nearby woods. They were feeding on a dead deer. That deer that would have gone unnoticed if we hadn’t been out there that morning.
Healthy wildlife often reflects healthy habitat.
Lastly, take a stroll around your structures such as barns, sheds, the water well, and other out-buildings. We’re going to look for roof leaks, rotting boards, termite tubes (running from the soil into wooden structures), wasp nests, plumbing leaks around water systems, and anything else that doesn’t look quite right. Catching problems early should help reduce repair costs later.
I know it’s hot. If sweating through a set of clothes were an Olympic event, I’d probably have a few medals by now. But putting off a walk around your property until cooler weather often means missing problems that have been developing since spring. Most properties don’t surprise us. They usually give plenty of warning. The challenge is simply taking the time to notice.
Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu. To receive a monthly newsletter about local Extension educational events and other offerings, e-mail Angelina-TX@tamu.edu
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.
By Cary Sims, Extension Agent, Texas A&M AgriLife
