Growing Tips for the Summer
Trim those blooming shrubs and trees that require it without hesitation. The most common gardening blunder is failing to prune. During my 20 years of landscaping experience, I've seen individuals invest in my services only to forget to trim their plants when they were in need, resulting in a dreadful landscape.
Don't be concerned if you prune incorrectly. It'll grow out, just like a terrible haircut. Use common sense, of course, and familiarize yourself with my prior writings on pruning.
The extreme humidity that accompanies summer is a given. High levels of humidity may harm the plants in your garden and in the area surrounding your home. Don't water your plants just before sunset as an easy way to save energy. Fungus is less likely to affect your plants if you keep them dry when you put them to bed at night.
Powdery mildew is a common fungus about which I am often questioned. Ornamental plant leaves develop a thin white coating as a result of this. Powdery mildew frequently kills dogwoods and purple sandcherry, which are both native to the United States. Powdery mildew doesn't do much damage to plants, but it damages the leaves and stunts growth once it takes hold. A general fungicide is available at your local garden store if you want to give it a go. Once the leaves drop in the autumn, the plant usually returns to its pre-defoliation state.
The most important thing to remember if you're in the north and your lawn has Perennial Rye Grass is to avoid leaving it wet at night. Pythium Blight, a kind of fungus that develops under very humid circumstances, is one example. Perennial rye grasses are attacked by this fungus, which destroys it. Lawns in the north tend to have mixed grasses, with Kentucky Bluegrass being the most common.
Perennial rye grass will be lost in significant parts of your lawn due to Pythium blight issues, and even if the other grasses are still there and fill in, your lawn will have patches that are a deeper green than the rest of it due to Kentucky blue grass concentrations.
Early in the morning, you may get a glimpse of this strange fungus. Your yard is covered with what looks like fluffy white cotton candy. If you've been watering, it'll most likely emerge along sidewalks and drives where the soil is moist. Pythium blight may be prevented by watering early in the morning.
Fire Disease is another dreadful blight that prefers the warmer months. Ornamental trees, such as apples, crabapples, cotoneaster, and pyracantha, are all susceptible to fire blight. The first sign of Fire Blight is a brownish-red branch on one of your plants. The leaves often persist, although they acquire a rusty red color. The damage typically begins at the branch's tip and progresses up the main stem. Pruning the damaged branch as far as feasible will take care of the problem.
Because fire blight is very infectious, you should destroy any pruned branches as soon as possible. To prevent the spread of this dangerous fungus, wash or soak your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut.
But I'm afraid there's one more thing to be concerned about this summer. In mulch, this useful fungus may be found. Mulches tend to harbor a wide variety of fungi, many of which are downright revolting in appearance. It's a rare jewel, however, since it swells up as it develops. Then, when it does manage to burst, it will leave a trail of small brown flecks all over your home. "Shotgun Fungus," according to the specialists, is a fitting name for this fungus. What a sweet name!
Small brown particles may fly up to eight feet in the air before sticking to your home's siding or windows like a glued-on decal. That person yelling across the house to their spouse, "Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house?" is probably reading this right now. They're familiar to me. Apparently, it's coming from the mulch. Please correct me if I'm incorrect, but I'm certain that I'm not.
Many individuals are infected yet unaware of this terrible little fungus. They just have a vague idea that the home has little brown spots on it that seem to be paint. Their theories run the gamut, from spiders to aliens so far.
Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to avoid contracting this fungus. It has been my experience that keeping mulch loose reduces the growth of fungus. Mulch surrounding your home doesn't need to be layered endlessly. Skip it every other year at the absolute least, and just loosen the mulch you currently have. Though you rake it flat after loosening it, it will seem as if you've recently mulched. Mulch is wonderful, but be careful not to compact it too much. At the very least, loosen up once a year.
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Growing Tips for the Summer