Oh my goodness – how time flies in June when you are working the garden center business! Where did it go?
Now there seems to be a little breathing room so back to a blog session… How’s your gardens and plants doing? Hopefully you are having good luck – keep them watered in this heat. Speaking about watering, it is certainly best to water early in the morning before the sun hits the plants. Watering at night is probably the worst time because a lot of airborne diseases can settle on damp leaves; however, if the choice is water or die in the evening then by all means, water!
I wanted to touch on a couple of problem areas that are common this time of year. Sometimes, you will find that your plants are turning kinda yellow in the foliage. This can be the result of stress which can be from overwatering (plants need to dry down between watering) or from letting the plant get too dry between watering. Do not let your plants wilt (exceptions do occur to wilting, for instance, most straw flowers naturally wilt down in the heat of the day).
The other factor could be the fertilizing routine – too much fertilizer will result in smaller leaves and brown edges as well as pale leaves; too little and the leaves will be pale. Regular fertilizing is critical.
Another problem area can be that you don’t have a lot of blooms – this could be from three options: not enough light; maybe the plant is still too young; or maybe (such as mums) the plant is “daylight sensitive” and needs at least 12 hours of light a day (this should not be a problem here at this time of year).
Insects!!!! Argh – yes, they can be a real problem. Aphids – they are everywhere and we can only try to control them. Keep a watch out for them – small, sap sucking devils! Keep an eye out on the underside of the leaves of your plants – that’s where all insects like to hang out. An easy control for most insects is a mixture of 1 liter water and a tablespoon of dishsoap. Put it in a spray bottle and spray liberally. Protect your plants from disease by keeping your plants clean and healthy – remove dead flowers and leaves.
If you find any disease, cut off the affected part. Keep the plant well fed and follow the directions as to sun or shade. Once again, the idea of watering at night time is a poor practice – this will increase the chance of disease.
Hopefully these tips will help you in your garden.
Drop in to The Bayside in Whycocomagh for some of our end-of-season sales!! Great deals are to be had!
