Gardening Tips: The ups and downs of gardening

As I was driving across town on the way to my granddaughter's soccer game, I was thinking that the lawns and gardens looked like August rather than the end of June.

The rain that had been predicted last week turned out to be a spit rather than a good soak. The ground is so dry that lawns are parched and the leaves on some trees were hanging limply in the hot sun.

On June 30, there was once again a forecast for a significant amount of rain. I sure hope that by the time you are reading this article, that weather system materializes and gives us a thorough, all night soak.

On the positive side, my flowering shrubs are just loaded with blooms as they are enjoying this sunny weather. I have shrub roses, Red Prince Weigela, Diablo Ninebark and Golden Mockorange all in full bloom right now.

Last week my late variety of lilac was in its glory! Tiger lilies, irises, poppies and peonies are heavily loaded with blossoms as well.

Unfortunately this early summer weather has also brought out the bugs in full force! As I was watering my planters the other day I noticed that the new growth on my Rose Glow Barberry was being eaten away. I looked carefully and found a Barberry Looper munching on the leaves.

It's often impossible to find this pest as their habit is to hide in the soil at the base of the shrub during the day and come out to feed at night. The best way to control looper and other types of chewing caterpillars is to spray the foliage with Btk.

The active ingredient in this insecticide is a naturally occurring bacteria that when ingested, reproduces in the caterpillars' gut. They immediately stop feeding and will die within several days.

Once you are sure that you have the problem solved, prune off the dead tips of the barberry. There is still plenty of time left for new growth to fill the shrub back out.

However, keep a close eye on the plants as Barberry Looper can have several hatchings per season!

Btk is safe to use on edible plants right up to the day of harvest so is very effective control for tomato hornworm and the larvae of the cabbage moth too. That is the little green caterpillar that eats away at cabbage,  broccoli, kale and other members of this family.

Since the bacteria in Btk is specifically harmful to caterpillars, loopers, Spruce budworm and leaf rollers, it is also safe to use around your children, pets, birds, bees and other beneficial insects.

Just be sure not to spray milkweed plants. You don't want to harm the caterpillar that becomes a monarch butterfly!

Keep a close eye out for infestations or aphids, ants, and earwigs too. They thrive in hot weather. At least slug damage tends to be less of a problem when the soil is so dry! They love damp areas.

Be sure to watch for plant diseases too. Powdery mildew can thrive in both hot dry as well as cool damp weather. Black knot may show up soon in plums and cherry trees. Apply the appropriate fungicide now to protect susceptible plants from disease.

My last article mention fertilizing the lawns and gardens. Be sure to water thoroughly after applying granular fertilizer if we don't get rain.  

The nutrients from fertilizer can only be absorbed by plant roots when it is dissolved in water. During dry spells, water soluble fertilizer dissolved in watering can or applied with a hose-end sprayer is the best choice.

If you do have to water lawns and gardens, a deep thorough soaking once a week is much more beneficial than a light sprinkle every day. A deep soak encourages plant roots to grow down deep into the soil.