Garden Pests

Too Much Rain on Plants

Since plants need water, what’s the issue with too much rain?

Although soil may seem rather solid, there are lots of spaces between the particles. These spaces hold air and water, and the roots of plants need both. Roots absorb oxygen from the air spaces in the soil. This changes when you get too much rain on plants.

Coleus wilting from too much rain and cool temperatures.
Coleus

When it rains or you water a plant growing in a container, all of the spaces in the soil fill with water, and the air is displaced. Gravity pulls on the water and it moves downward. As it does, air moves back into the soil spaces.

If rain occurs frequently over an extended period, the air spaces in the soil are kept filled with water. This deprives the roots of the oxygen they need.

If these conditions continue long enough, the roots stop functioning properly and may even begin to die. Although the soil is filled with water, the roots will not absorb it. This can cause plants to wilt, even though the soil is wet.

At this point, the roots are also more vulnerable to attack by fungal organisms in the soil that cause root rot. Root rot infections are highly damaging to the roots and are often fatal.

Wilting columbine from too much rain.
Wilting columbine

I am seeing this especially in vine crops transplanted to the garden, where they wilt and die. Also in tender flowers planted in beds and containers. This problem should alleviate later this week when it warms up and the sun shines. It is now too late to plant most plants.

Container gardening

Go Creative with Plant Containers

Flowers and plants add color and a cozy touch to any indoor or outdoor space—but you don’t have to stick with boring, conventional containers to house your blooms or greenery. Get creative and make use of items already in your home (or even in the pile that is headed to the donation center). Below are lots of creative planter ideas that you can use in your garden or around the house.

  1. Metal or wood crates can give an industrial or rustic look to your home decor. To keep the dirt inside the crate, line it with plastic and fill with moss. 
  1. Everyone has a few stock tanks that leak around, so this option is an easy one to find.  Add personal flair with paint or leave them as-is for a metallic look.
  • Create a whimsical display with the watering can tipped on its side or hanging from a pergola with long flowers or vines hanging down.
  • By lining a bushel basket with plastic before adding dirt, you can retain moisture while using such a readily available container. While you can definitely use baskets indoors, you can make use of them outside under covered patios for colorful annual flowers.
  • Smaller kitchen crocks are great for condensed plants like cactus. Or, use the very large pickling crocks for an arrangement of several succulents or cacti.
  • You’ve seen them before and there’s a reason. It’s a great way to add character to your yard! With a little bit of cleaning and/or a fresh coat of paint, that used toilet can get new life, brimming with colorful flowers.
  • If you have an extra colander around the house, you have a planter! These are also common at thrift stores and flea markets and make a fun option for your plants inside or outside the house. If using indoors, line with plastic before filling with soil.
  • Old machinery tires that are painted and stacked make perfect containers.
  • When their utility as footwear is done, add dirt to create a whimsical front porch display.
  • If you have extra feed bags around, roll down the sides, fill with dirt, and plant away. Burlap offers great drainage while holding everything together. Plus, it adds a rustic touch to any garden area.
This week's garden questions

Winter Injury on Evergreens

A couple of evergreen questions with similar problems, even though the trees are different.  Ten-year-old pines started to turn yellowish on the south side of the trees in late April.  The south side does get more wind than the other side. The second tree is an arborvitae close to the house is also turning brown.  What is happening? Are they drowning?

What’s happening is winter desiccation. A lot of different plants suffered winter desiccation, including pines, spruce, fir, arborvitae, privet, boxwood and white pine. The needles lost water faster than they could replace it in the fall, so the leaves/needles started to turn brown and die back during the spring.  For now, just watch the plant and see what happens. If it sends out new growth, then prune out the dead branches back to living tissue.  If the plant is younger and completely brown with no new growth, then you will need to remove it.

It is not how much moisture they have now, but how much they had in late fall.