As you probably already figured out we have had an awful lot of rain this summer.  These days interspersed with ones of extreme humidity create a perfect environment for weeds and disease. Too much constant moisture on a plant can causes a white filmy mold to appear on the leaves and petals though the damage is more cosmetic than life threatening and can be fixed by pruning off the offending, unsightly damage.  It’s just unfortunate to have to scalp your plants when they may be in the height of their blooming period.

Heliopsis with mold damage.

Another problem that crops up when the condition are like this are those pesky weeds.  Here are a couple of tips to help keep your gardens look neat and tidy.

Why does grass always grow better where its not suppose to?

1. Inspection Time!

Whenever you bring any new plants into your garden carefully check that there are no weeds hitching a ride in the pot.  That’s always a great start to prevention.

2. Let it be!

Weed seeds must have sunlight to germinate therefore constant cultivating will bring them to the surface of the soil leading to future weed issues. Soil does not have to be regularly cultivated since it already houses the worlds natural earth movers and shakers; worms

3. Got it covered!

Consider using mulches around you plants.  Not only will it keep the weeds at bay but mulches also keep the moisture in the soil better and are aesthetically pleasing in a landscape.  Because they are considered smotherers, don’t apply mulch till late spring so you don’t accidentally cover up any young growth from plant you do want growing in your garden.

Gaillardia is a great contrast to light colored mulches.

4. Through thick or thin!

This last one is a bit of a catch 22.  By densely packing your gardens with plants you definitely make it near impossible for weeds to grow however in humid, moist weather that closeness could lead to disease and pest problems.

No one can realistically be weed-free.  But by practising these easy tips the task of weeding will be less like tacking a jungle and more like a gentle plucking.

Tara from Nova Scotia asked how could she control the grubs in her vegetable garden. This one is a bit tricky.

What are grubs?

Grub worms are the larvae stage of the common summer beetle.

What do they do?

Grubs cause damage to your lawn and garden directly and indirectly. Because they reside in the soil this white, grey or brownish worm goes root browsing, where they feed on the roots of plants causing them to weaken and die. Additionally small rodents like mice, voles and gophers love to feast on these juicy bugs and in the process dig up your gardens to get at them.

How do I treat them?

Ontario recently passed a Province wide pesticide ban for cosmetic purposes. This ban is a great thing for keeping your family and our environment healthy but limits what we can do to combat pest problems in our gardens. Your local garden centre will carry allowable pesticides that may help fight your grub problem. If you are not restricted where you live then a chemical pesticide is the best options to rid your garden of this pest. Grubs cause the most damage when they are hatching, July to September, so this is the best time to apply a chemical pesticide to your garden.

You can also try applying beneficial nematodes to your soil to destroy the worms. These are naturally occurring microscopic worms. Again you should check with your local garden centre to see if they supply them.

Also by combating the beetles at an adult stage with bug attracting zapping lights you reduce the number of eggs being laid.

How can I prevent them in the first place?

Unfortunately you can’t control what others do. If your neighbours have grubs and do nothing about them then in all likelihood you will always have a problem. Grubs are one of the hardest things to get rid of once you have them. Try to keep the soil aerated, fertilized and well watered to produce healthier plants that will be more resistant to the damage done by these horrible bugs.

I’d like to share one more amusing tale I have when it comes to my adventures with squirrels.

My parent’s backyard is surrounded by a fence line fronted by shrubs for privacy from the public school and walkway. Two sides have tall shrubs like honeysuckles, lilacs and high bush cranberries for privacy while the other two have shorter shrubs like forsythias, dogwoods and spireas so my parent could still socialize with neighbours.

One fall I decided to plant over 350 hyacinth bulbs in and around the shrubs to create a bit of a woodland appearance. With my mom’s help and an efficient assembly line of me digging the hole and adding the bone meal and mom following behind dropping in the bulbs and covering the holes we actually accomplished this feat in a short time.

Winter came with the cold and the snow and I forgot about our little project. But once the spring thaw began I started getting excited to see our beautiful display. Imagine my delight when I started to see the purple blooms in the yard. And now imagine my horror when I saw that same purple colour in the front yard, in the middle of the back lawn, in the perennial gardens and even in the vegetable garden. Over the previous fall the squirrels had dug up their snack (my bulbs) and buried them everywhere but under the shrubs.

By the looks of the number that bloomed in my yard I’m positive my neighbours also got a nice spring surprise too.

On another of my neighbourhood walks in beautiful 20-degree weather in April I saw many a squirrel chattering away. While most consider these creatures more foe than friend I can’t help be charmed by their devious nature.

In the beginning of my horticultural career I was given free of charge a young apple tree. I investigated the neighbourhood to make sure there was a pollinator close by and waited excitedly for it to fruit. The first couple of years brought a few sparse flowers but by the third year I knew it would pay off.

That spring brought a beautiful fragrant display of light pink flowers. These eventually turned into little baby apples that grew and grew. Due to weather, pests and disease we lost all but two specimens. My dad and I, the two apple eaters in the family, were excited for them to get big enough to pick. The skins were unblemished and the shape perfect (it was a red delicious tree).

One day they suddenly disappeared. I searched the ground looking for any sign that maybe the wind knocked them off but instead I saw further down the yard a couple of squirrels feasting happily on our fruit. I swear I saw one wink at me! Little did I know at the time was that while my dad and I watched day after day those apples grow so did our little furry friends. I don’t think they ever had a meal so carefully prepared.

My sneaky friend