Mid-season gardening tips

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KUSA – At the end of July, we’re at the midpoint of the growing season and also the hottest time of the year. Here are some mid-season tips to keep your garden thriving through the rest of the growing season.

Pay attention to insects that are active

Aphids and spider mites are active now. They will show up on veggies, but also on roses and some perennials. Almost all insects attack when plants get weak – and heat, like the 90-degree heat we’ve had recently – can play into this. If you’ve been doing all the right things to keep plants healthy, that’s your first line of defense. If infestations are severe, these insects can be treated with products available from the garden center.

Powdery mildew is also common in Colorado gardens

It shows up not just on veggies, but also on the foliage of many plants such as lilacs and roses. This mildew loves warm, dry climates like we have in Colorado! You will find it most often in crowded plantings where air circulation is poor and in damp, shaded areas. And younger plant tissue is usually more susceptible. You will see spots or patches of white to grayish growth that looks like talcum-powder on the upper sides of leaves.

This disease is a good example of how to use Integrated Pest Management – where you start with the simplest measures and then work up to applying a product, if you need it. Start by pruning off the affected areas – and remember never to put diseased material into your compost pile. If you need to do more, you can use copper soap or sulfur or a fungicide product available from a garden center.

Help plants cope with heat

When it’s hot, most veggies need regular water – so watering every day or every other day in the early morning hours is best. Water at the base of the plants so moisture goes right to the roots; this saves water. If you have drip irrigation, that’s all the better. If we have more days prolonged high temps, you can even shade veggies with an umbrella or a shade tarp so they don’t heat stress. This helps them stay at the right temperature to be healthy and keep producing.

Fill up the bare spots

We have 9 really good and warm weeks of weather ahead of us. So if you have gaps and bare spots in your veggie garden – or even in other areas of your landscape, fill them up! Plant shrubs or flowers, or even pot up a plant in a container with some showy annual flowers to add a bright spot of color you can enjoy the rest of the season. We’ve got many good growing days ahead and we need to make the most of them!

Information courtesy Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, sponsors of the 9News Kitchen Garden and the 9News Water Wise Garden: www.alcc.com.

(KUSA-TV © 2013 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)