Summer Garden 911

The heat of summer has arrived, and I have been called out for a few garden emergency calls. This is the time when Spring plants are getting tired, we go from hot and humid to rainy and hot and humid, with very little break. The plants that were happily producing for the past 4-6 weeks are slowing down production and dropping blossoms. And the bugs, they are at their peak.

Prevention can seem overwhelming. The simple task of “check all squash stems and leaves for eggs” becomes an all day affair when each plant suddenly has 50 leaves the size of dinner plates, and you have 5 plants! I love working in my garden, it is where I create beauty and recharge my soul. Unless it’s over 90 degrees out, then my garden is not my favorite place to be, right when it needs me the most. So I have a simple test I do, when my time is short and I know my rather large garden is being neglected.

I ask myself what is the worst case scenario if I skip my maintenance task. I say, if I don’t water today, what is the worst case but still realistic scenario? All my plants will die? Some will be slightly stressed? Probably nothing, because it rained yesterday? The plants in the growbags will suffer, but everything else will be fine? So I do the work that is necessary and leave the rest for another day.

What if I don’t check for Squash Vine Borer eggs? Well, the nasty little borers have already gotten into one of my pumpkin plants, do I want to risk another? I know it takes about 7 days for them to hatch, when did I check last? Can I do the second best thing, spray Bt on all my squash stems, and hope for the best?

Squash Vine Borer

If I don’t have time to do a thorough check of every plant, can I take a bowl of soapy water and do a quick walk-through, hand picking any bad bugs I see? Often a few strolls through the garden with the intention of getting rid of the bad bugs you see are enough to keep them from multiplying. While you’re walking through, bring some Hydrogen Peroxide spray or Copper Fungal Spray to quickly treat any powdery mildew you see. These tasks take 5-10 minutes a day in a small to medium sized kitchen garden, and can make huge impacts on the results you see.

I don’t believe in perfection in the garden, there has never been such a thing. It’s a living, growing, changing thing and just like you and me, it needs a little bit of care and a lot of patience to become something amazing. Don’t give up on your garden this hot season! And if you need some help, we are available for coaching sessions this summer, to help deal with pest and disease issues or provide guidance for slow growth and maintenance schedules. We also offer maintenance packages, if keeping up on the work is not possible in a busy season we can take over the work of caring for the garden and you can just enjoy. Please reach out or book a coaching session if this is a way we can help you!