Hope you had a pleasant Independence Day where you had a chance to be with friends or family, enjoy your plants, and just have fun.
And now – I hope you’ll still have fun! The fury of planting has subsided and summer gardening is about observing and maintenance for pest prevention. So much rain around here lately has put pressure on plant health. Last week I reminded you to use fungicides to prevent fungal breakouts. I’ve noticed on my walks that the forest and roadside plants all have signs of rust and leaf rot. My own garden seems to be okay, so I’ll keep thinning and pulling leaves at the first sign of fungus. It’s tricky to find a dry period when I could apply fungicide. I’ll have mine at the ready in case the sun breaks out for six hours or more.
With the heavy recent rains, we should also consider fertilizing our vegetable gardens again. Too much rain at once can leach nutrients out of the soil. Yellowing of leaves is a tell-tale sign. Plan to add a balanced, slow-release fertilizer as side-dressing to your leafy greens, beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplants. Caution with the root vegetables. You want those roots to grow and not necessarily expand the green tops. Using a fertilizer lower in nitrogen, like N-P-K of 3-4-6 or similar, will help encourage flowers, root development and plant health without overdoing the nitrogen.
I felt a ruthless sense of glee and victory of sorts this last weekend. I saw a stem of bittersweet completely coated in black aphids. They were seriously stressing the vine. On the same branch were 2 Lady beetles taking full advantage of the good eating. Those aphids aren’t going to knock down all the bittersweet, but I decided to let them all live.
You’ll find that many early emerging weeds and plants will be the ones with aphids and flea beetle damage. I suppose having the weeds can be a foil to keep pests away from my valuable plants, but the weeds may also be nurturing the bad guys. I settle on the optimistic and ecological notion that the weeds nurture the bad guys that feed more beneficial insects and add diversity to my gardens. If they didn’t have the weeds, the pests would find my early perennials instead.
I won’t permit some weeds. I’ve mentioned garlic mustard and gout weed as a couple of invasive plants that every garden should be without. There are more. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has a list of plants that growers and retailers are prohibited from selling in the state. Recent additions include Scotch broom, Weeping Lovegrass and Japanese Black Pine. Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List | Mass.gov is the link to the list.
Plants are deemed invasive due to how easily they spread through seeds or roots and how thoroughly they eliminate native species in each habitat. I strongly recommend that if you have any of the invasive plants growing on property you control, find a way to get rid of them. Hire landscape contractors if you can or consult with other gardeners on your best control strategies.
I’m trying to welcome the rain. Moist soil makes it easier to weed. Some of my flower beds have been happily filled with weeds for a few weeks and those have flourished. Time to remove the most invasive. Remove any weeds you can before they flower, and you prevent the weed seed from spreading. I pulled weeds and as much of the roots as I could. Weeding will not be done but I’ll be ahead of it and the weeds that do sprout will be weaker.
I should also say that where I have the deepest mulch layers, the weeds come out most easily. That’s saying something when your clay soil dries hard and tight as concrete.
When I analyzed my weeds, I decided to keep the ‘Touch-me not’ or ‘jewelweed’ and pulled most everything else out. I pulled clover, oxalis, goldenrod, bittersweet, and dandelion. I noticed a flower that I thought was St. John’s wort and unfortunately, I was right. I did some research (yes, an internet scan of the flower helped me identify it). The pretty flower of Hypericum perforatum is the herbaceaous St. John’s wort. This plant was brought to North America in the mid-17th century for its medicinal properties. Unfortunately, this plant has been listed as a noxious invasive plant in the Midwest and West. I feel it’s better not to have it growing in my garden after all. Out it goes.
Hypericum kalmianum, shrubby St. John’s wort, is native and has the same pretty yellow flower. This might be a good addition to my garden. Fun discovery! I also wondered about another plant that seems abundant around the edges of my yard. Everything looks like an aster or goldenrod on my first glance. This one was ID’d as a type of ‘false nettle’ and is native to meadows and wetlands. No stinging hairs or rude garden habits. It is not especially pretty—green flowers sprout from the leaf nodes – but I’m relieved that I can choose not to have it in the garden but still toss it in the compost pile.
Other tasks in July include slowing the progress of the most damaging insect pests. I have squished about 6 Japanese beetles, and I know more will appear in the next 4 weeks. Each year I see fewer, and I credit the different strategies like using the Bt product Milky Spore and beneficial nematodes. I’ll still use the low impact method of a jar of soapy water. Early in the morning, I walk around the roses, raspberries, hibiscus, grapevine and other beetle favorites to knock the critters into the jar. I won’t get them all, but I will reduce the damage.
Another pest prevention trick: use reflective foil or plastic to cast light on the undersides of squash and cucumber leaves. Squash bugs are less likely to lay eggs in the light. I’ll still inspect the plants but I’m doing what I can to manage any infestations with a minimum of effort. I saved empty, thick and silvery coffee bags for this task. Less waste and much sturdier than aluminum foil!
Early July has often been a very green time in my garden. Some flowers have passed while others haven’t opened yet. Now is the time to purchase perennials for their interesting foliage or long bloom period to bridge “the show”. Consider leaf texture as well, especially in a shade garden. Remember, planting daylilies or hosta in front of tulips and daffodils will mask the aging, ephemeral bulb foliage. I have seen such plant succession happening in the woods near my house. Large areas that showcased Dutchman’s breeches or trout lily are now full of ferns or jewelweed (native Impatiens capensis or I. pallida) – another lesson from nature.
My plants have taken off with the heat and rain. The small annuals have mostly done well. I planted some nursery-grown nasturtium in separate containers around my deck at the same time in the same planting medium. However, they have grown in completely different ways. Two plants that were in a low repurposed window box are spindly and a bit yellow. The box has only four small drainage holes. Another nasturtium in a large, deep pot with excellent drainage has ballooned to the size of a basketball! One container gets a tiny bit more sun, but I have watered consistently (or the rain has fallen consistently!) Conclusion: The deeper pot with more drainage and root room is the better choice for nasturtium.
I’m happy I have a record of that difference. I’ll shop at the various garden center and nursery end-of-season sales to get a deal on pots. And when I do, I’ll choose more for the functional aspects than how the color blends with my design scheme.
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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’m willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
