In The Garden This Week

Let’s talk about a few garden things in the garden this week. Leave hail damage garden plants and flower plants alone. By now you should see what is dead or dying so remove them. Most plants will set leaves and reflower, we have plenty of time left. Trees with split trunks should be removed. If over ½ of the tree is gone, consider removing and replacing it. For slightly damaged trees, trim to the nearest large branch or trunk. Keep well-watered but let the fertilizing go till next year. Do not paint over any wound, let the air dry it out.

Late blight on tomato plant.

There have been a lot of lower leaves on tomato plants yellowing and drying up, you might be dealing with early blight. It’s a pesky fungus that thrives in hot, humid weather. The best way to manage it is by applying a fungicide to protect the unaffected leaves, especially after it rains. And if you’re watering, try soaking the ground instead of watering overhead to keep things in check. You might start using a fungicide if they were wounded by the hail.

Now, onto weeds. Roundup, which is now made by Bayer, has been a go-to for nonselective weed killing. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, is also available under other labels now that its patent has expired. The key difference? The concentration of the active ingredient. Roundup usually ranges from 41% to 50%, but you can find generic versions with up to 54% glyphosate. Just be sure to read the mixing instructions carefully!

Needle cast disease on evergreens.

If you’ve got pines and notice the older needles dying, especially on one side, it could be a needle cast fungus. While fungicides can help, they must be applied early in the season. For now, just keep your trees well-watered.

And don’t forget to keep deadheading (removing dead blossoms) your annuals like snapdragons, coleus, marigolds, zinnias, and daisies to keep them blooming until the first frost.

Puncture vine.

Lastly, the weed of the week is the puncture vine. It’s sneaky and can be painful if you step on it barefoot or in stockings. You’ll usually find it in gardens, flowerbeds, or along gravel roads. The best solution? Hoe it out and never let it set seeds.

Dragonfly on a coneflower.

On a brighter note, dragonflies are out in full force, which means mosquito populations are dropping!