I mentioned last week that we need to give annuals and perennials one inch of water per week. How do you know the volume of water delivered from the end of your hose or soaker/sprinkler? You already know to water the soil, not the leaves. So, direct your sprinkler (or watering can or soaker hose) into a container and see how long it takes to reach 1 inch of water. That’s how long you need to keep the hose running or keep the watering can pouring water into the soil in that area.
Annuals and new perennials need regular watering throughout the summer. Same goes for new young trees and shrubs. By providing a deep watering, a volume equal to the pot size when planted, once a week, your new trees and shrubs will root into their new location and get established. A rain gauge can help you determine if the plant has received enough rainfall to replace that week’s watering. Chances are it won’t be enough.
But not always. With too much rain and the sudden heat of last week, I had one peony clump get flooded then fried. The leaves turned olive yellow and stippled brown. In response, I cut off the damaged, now ineffective leaves. The healthy leaves will produce food for the peony roots, and maybe it will have a better show next year. I might also raise the clump a bit in case I have planted it too deep.
That deep watering routine applies to new plantings. Hopefully, your more established shrubs, trees, and perennials have deep root systems that only need extra water when we experience a drought—about two to three weeks with no rain. If you only see your gardens on weekends, choose drought-tolerant plants. Iris perennials have the unique ability to handle wet or dry soils once established. Keep them well watered in their first year, and then you can leave them on their own. Interestingly, the same properties that allow them to survive with little oxygen around the roots in wet locations help them survive lack of water in dry locations.
I harvested a second round of garlic scapes last weekend. I have two kinds of garlic, the mild elephant (big clove) type and the spicy music (smaller clove) type. They mature at different times. The elephant garlic leaves have two leaves already brown, but the music garlic just finished sending up their scapes and all leaves remain green, contributing to the growth of the bulb. Your garlic is ready to harvest when three to four leaves have turned brown. My elephant garlic will be ready in mid-July.
When yours are ready, lift the garlic bulbs gently with a garden fork and let dry in a single layer in an airy location for a couple weeks. When the soil dries, gently rub it off. Trim stems and leaves then store bulbs in an onion bag or open rack in a cool, dry location.
Scout for pests in your vegetable garden every day while you water. You do water every day, right? Regular watering of vegetables in summer along with a mid-summer dose of slow-release fertilizer (just scratch into the soil surface) will increase your yield and improve the health of your plants. Healthier plants mean less pest pressure and less work for the lazy gardener. Really.
Remove most tomato suckers (branches that emerge from under main branches along the stem) on indeterminate slicing tomatoes. These branches won’t fruit and won’t help to shade the upper fruit from sunscald.
I have not seen Japanese beetles yet, but I know they are coming. If you use grub control in your lawn that contains imidacloprid, apply it this month. The chemical will poison the larvae and prevent them from maturing to eat your landscape. Two organic strategies for when beetles appear: Pick off and drop in soapy water or use traps (loaded with a pheromone lure) by placing them away from plants that beetles favor—like roses, hibiscus, beans, grapes, and raspberry. I haven’t seen the pests, but I know I will.
I had other pesky visitors overnight. This time they sampled the vegetable garden. Ugh. I am lazy. I don’t use repellents regularly (though I tell you to). In my defense, the weather has been too cold or too windy or too wet while I am gardening to use sprays effectively.
I also don’t have a fence (because who has time to put up a fence and maneuver in and out of the fence for every picking?) I should have one, but I don’t. Well, half the bean plants were snapped off and one third of the beet greens were nibbled, plus they took a mouthful of spinach and took the tops off a few carrots. Do they not see the open meadows of delicious grass literally 50 feet away? My quick solution was to pull up some smelly cilantro that came in strong this year and drape the stems around the remaining bean stalks. The flowery fragrance should deter the pests. I also found a piece of hardware cloth that fits over the beets temporarily.
For the long term, I am formulating a plan to build a simple cloche of chicken wire that is lightweight enough to set aside during picking but still impermeable by rabbits and deer. The cloche will be a simple box made from one-inch-by-two-inch boards as the edges and chicken wire as the cube faces or sides. I am thinking the sides need to be three feet long.
For marauding birds on raspberries and blueberries, build your protective box but make the sides of bird netting. To prevent insects: make sides of polyester fabric or exclusion netting. Use these temporary barriers once fruit starts to form.
Our dog also loudly announced the presence of another, perhaps more annoying, pest: skunks. Our dog discovered them, and then we did our best to maneuver her and them away from under our pallet of mulch, and later from under our deck. I don’t think they are responsible for the missing vegetables because I see no signs of digging, their usual MO. The skunk family distracted me from other weekend tasks but reminded me that predator urine (in vials, pellets, or from your willing house pets, i.e. used kitty litter) will encourage skunks and woodchucks to find other, less dangerous, homes.
In other photos, my ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) has finally shown signs of life. This perennial has beautiful deep purple flowers late in the season but takes forever to show up. I leave the tall stiff stalks in place to mark the spot.
And on the other end of the growing spectrum, early blooming shadbush or Juneberry now has fruit ripening as the leaves start to turn yellow and drop. That is my reminder that we need native plants to provide food and shelter to our native animals all year round.
My long-lived peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) start to go limp and show water stress every two to three days. I suppose it is heat related. However, I also know that these houseplants have been in their same pots for five years or more. It may be time to have a look at the roots. If the pots are filled with roots and little soil, I need to increase the pot size by one inch in diameter. Good thing summer sales have kicked in at local garden centers. The new pot will also get fresh, nutrient-rich potting soil to hold more moisture. At least, that’s my goal.
However, it is a holiday weekend! I may skip the repotting and water the current houseplant pots more often for now. I have fresh peas to pick and some Independence Day celebrations to enjoy! Have a nice holiday!
I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I am willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
