With Humidity - Comes Powdery Mildew

During the summer months humidity is expected, and along with this type of weather comes one of the most easily recognized types of fungus called "Powdery Mildew".

While no plant is immune to this disease, there are certain plants that are more susceptible than others such as:
- Honeysuckle
- Lilacs
- Monarda (Bee Balm)
- Roses
- Crab apples
- Phlox
- Eggplants
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Grapes

Powdery Mildew looks just like the name suggests. It tends to look like someone sprinkled powder on the tops of your leaves. The color of the powder can be either white or gray and will either be in blotches or cover the entire leaf and stem of the plant.

The good news is while this mildew will make your plant look unattractive it rarely kills the plant itself, although in some cases on vegetable plants it can hamper the production of vegetables by aborting the flower that would normally produce the vegetable.  Often times, a badly infected leaf will even fall off the plant.

How does it occur?
Often the spores are overwintered in plant debris and start producing in spring. They are then blown on to your plants most often by wind or even insects. The fungus most often gets worse when there is prolonged dampness or humidity, your plants are crowded which causes a lack of air circulation.

How can you control it?
-Remove infected leaves.
-Improve the air circulation by thinning out the plant.
-Do not fertilize until the problem is corrected, as the fungus prefers young growth.
-Water only the base of the plant and not the leaves, and only water in early morning.
-Apply a Copper Soap fungicide.

You can also try an organic homemade method following the recipe below:
Mix together the following ingredients:
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap
1 gallon water

Try this mixture on a small area of your plant first and avoid spraying it on your plant in full sun. 

Promoting Growth on Group 2 Clematis

Clematis is quickly becoming one of the most popular vines in the garden and with good reason.. They can easily be added into any garden theme, giving color, height and grace to any area in your garden. The vines can be grown over arbors, lattices, or even worked through other perennials.

Growing clematis is fairly easy but pruning them seems to be the most challenging for most gardeners but in reality, the answer simply lies in when your clematis blooms.

The three groups of clematis are:
1. Spring Bloomer
2. Summer or Fall Bloomers
3. Repeat Bloomers

In this post, we will discuss Group 2 which are the large flowering hybrids that bloom in Summer. While group 2 is further broken down into two sub categories, being (A) those that bloom in the spring and possibly again in the fall and (B) those that bloom in the  spring then occasionally through the summer.

All of the clematis in this group start blooming on 'old wood' and should not be given a heavy pruning during its growing season, however, late season flowers can be promoted by pruning the seed heads off right after the first flowering and the blooms drop from their heads or tepals. While the flowers may be smaller and differently colored as well, when it pushes a new flower, a light pruning of seed heads will promote new growth on the vine as well.

Let's take a look at this Group 2 Clematis that was originally pruned back on its old wood in early April.  Within weeks of its originally pruning it immediately generated new growth and healthy flowers.

After the flowers faded and the petals fell off, a light pruning was done in between a set of leaves being careful not to cut the main vine.

Then, within two weeks, notice the new growth in preparation of setting new flowers and further strengthening the vine itself.

Just like many other plants removing dead flowers or seed heads will only refocus the plants energy into growth and root system. All it takes is some commitment and common sense with most plants to encourage growth and general health.

July Landscaping Tips

Here are some timely tips for your July garden!

•Continue weeding

•Water during extreme heat/drought

•Continue deadheading roses and flowering perennials to encourage new blooms

•Deadhead spring blooms, if not already done

•Turn compost pile

•Prune woody vines after blooming

•Prune birch, flowering cherries, lindens and maples

•Finish transplanting annuals into garden (finish EARLY July)

•Pinch back mums, asters, dahlias, cosmos and zinnias

•Cut back spring perennials and/or damaged and spent ones

•Begin to dig and divide spring-blooming perennials (iris, some early flowering daylilies)

And remember... your garden is the friend you can visit any time..