Last Updated: June 12, 2024
As we start the month of June, there is so much in our landscape that is springing to life and creating so much beauty. In addition to all that beauty comes a few challenges. Flowerland is here to help with those June garden challenges.
June Garden Challenge: Powdery Mildew
Powdery Mildew is a common fungus that looks like light grey or white powder on the leaves of your plants. Its primary cause is humidity. Cool humid nights like we’ve seen recently stimulate spore production, while warm, dry days allow the spores to spread.
Fortunately, most of your favorite plants can recover from powdery mildew. Simple ways to address powdery mildew include removing infected parts of the plants and cleaning up any leaves that have fallen on the soil around the plant. Spraying with an antifungal like Bonide’s Fung-onil can also help control and prevent powdery mildew.
June Garden Challenge: Red Thread
If it looks like your spring lawn has a reddish-pink tint to it, you may be experiencing Red Thread. Red Thread is very common in the spring when we experience cool, wet weather and overcast skies.
One of the best ways to keep Red Thread at bay is to make sure your lawn is healthy and well fed. An undernourished lawn is more susceptible to it. If you find you have Red Thread in your lawn or are hoping to prevent it, you can treat it with broad spectrum, systemic fungicide like Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control of Lawn & Landscape. In addition to treating and preventing Red Thread and other diseases, Infuse has been shown to encourage turf rooting as well.
June Garden Challenge: Aphids
A little bug with a big appetite. A few aphids on healthy plants isn’t unusual or a big problem. However when a plant is under stress caused by drought, poor soil or overcrowding, aphids can multiply quickly and become a huge problem.
Aphids cause damage by sucking sap from tender plant parts. Some tell-tale signs of infestation are twisted and curled leaves, yellowing foliage, and stunted or dead shoots. You can also check the underside of the leaves for bugs. If you do have aphids, one option for control is BioAdvanced 3 in 1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control. It provides 14 days of insect control.
June Garden Challenge: Spongy Moth Caterpillars
These invasive moths get a lot coverage every year and can cause quite a bit of damage. Emerging in early summer, they prefer feeding on the leaves of Oak and Aspen trees but will feed on over 300 other species of trees as well. Many areas do a community-wide spraying to control the moths. If your area doesn’t spray or if you see signs of spongy moth caterpillars, you do have options. You can spray infected trees and shrubs in your landscape with Thuricide, the same organic spray used by many communities to treat spongy moth caterpillars. You can also use Eight Insect Control by Bonide.
June Garden Challenge: Vegetable Garden Beetles
As many of us start tending to our veggie gardens, it’s a good time to be on the look-out for beetles. If you find beetles feasting on your veggies, a great option is to spray with Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. It is approved for organic gardening and can be used on edibles as well as ornamental plants.
