Depending on the geographical location, some areas have rainy seasons. This is that period of time where it’s raining more than usual.

So what do you do when it comes to your landscape? Whether you live in an area that receives a regular amount of rainfall or it’s a relatively dry area that has challenges when it decides to rain more than usual or the rain season comes, it’s important to do your research and know what to do when certain weather occurs.

Some regions like New York have to deal with rainy weather compressed into a regular, predictable area of time. If you’re taking care of a landscape yourself, it pays to know everything about it so you can prepare. You may even decide to hire a landscape maintenance provider to deal with it (maybe you’re new to the area or owning, renting, or leasing a property, want expertise, or simply don’t have the time or experience to do it yourself).

Here are some strategies that you can do to prep for the rain when it comes.

In the short term, you will want to address drains and any system that takes care of drainage such as pipes, gutters, and ground drains. Checking to make sure that they are not stopped up and there is no debris in there will be key to everything running smoothly if and when rain comes.

Making sure that they are in good working order and are clear and without obstruction may just be the smartest landscaping move that you’ve made all year. If the water can’t go to where it needs to and builds up or comes out where it shouldn’t, you are going to have a big problem on your hands. Overflow is simply a term you never want to hear when it comes to properties.

Prevent erosion with sandbags if you now heavy rain is coming. Having some bags and extra sand on hand is a good way to get this done efficiently without having to go to the store. Straw wattle or fine mesh netting may be able to prevent soil removal if you really need it as well by keeping the soil and vegetation in place.

If it is going to be raining and you know that, turn off any sprinklers or irrigation manually or set the automatic timers to turn the systems off when the rain comes. No sense watering and wasting resources when nature is giving them to you for free. You can also check in on how your landscape is doing and how much water you’re giving it with a smart system with a controller.

Certain plants in your landscaping are also great for keeping a root system together. If you are having landscaping done, don’t forget to take any potential rainy seasons into account while doing so and discuss this aspect with your designer or installer.