A couple of things have been going on in the garden this week with the tomato fruits. One is the skin cracking. The cause is a sudden influx of water to the fruit causing it to expand splitting the skin. A mulch of organic matter like straw helps to cool the soil and consistent moisture. Some varieties like cherry tomatoes and the early maturing varieties are more prone to this condition.

The other is blossom end rot where the bottom of the tomato fruit turns brown and leathery. This is caused by a tie-up of calcium in the soil due to inconsistent wetness and dryness with high temperatures. Again, mulching helps, and it seems the tomato will grow out of this condition when it gets cooler. Some varieties are more prone to blossom-end rot like Early Girl.

With the higher moisture we have been getting and now cooler temperatures, mushrooms are popping up in some lawns. What you see is the fruiting structure of the fungus; the fungus itself is under the ground. It grows on old, rotting tree roots left in the ground. It is a part of nature and there is nothing you can really do but wait a few years till the tree roots are gone. Mowing them off is good, if you have pets think about removing them from the lawn at ground level.

The aphid population has exploded with the high temperatures. Aphids are species specific meaning aphids on asters will not go to roses. You get full-pressure water from a hose and wash them off. If the infestation is bad, you can use insecticide soap, Neem oil, or Malathion. Apply when the temperature is cool, read the instructions on the label. The ants herd the aphids like cattle, “milking” or collecting the honeydew secreted by the aphid as food. The same sticky stuff falling from the trees on your car.

If you use a plastic sprayer for a herbicide like Roundup or 2,4-D, do not use it for a fungicide or insecticide. It is very hard to clean the sprayer to remove the herbicide residual. Get another sprayer for nonherbicide applications.

Lastly, if you have an area that you cannot get anything to grow in, try native grasses. I have used Big Bluestem, Miscanthus, and Blue Fescue, and they turned out great. They take heat, drought, and poor soil in stride. Others are Switch Grass and Blue Gamma Grass.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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