weather challenges

The severe thunderstorms & wind that have been more prevelant than I remember in other years, are creating challenges for keeping our gardens in their best appearance. The wind of Saturday night has my sweet corn stalks all standing at a 45 degree angle. I'm hoping they'll straighten up a bit in the next week or so. The petunia baskets along our laneway, took a real beating but are coming around really nicely again. Along with all the rain & humidity, we need to be watching for powdery mildew on some plants. Monarda or Bee Balm, Phlox & Hollyhocks are especially susceptable to the fungus disease at this time of year.. It may be wise to treat these plants with a fungicide before the problem shows up. Other plants that pick up the mildew fungus very easily are rose bushes and tuberous begonia.

There are many fungicides available. check the label to be sure they are safe & effective on the type of plant you want to treat. Look for ingredients such as: potassium bicarbonate, neem oil, sulfur or copper.