For the Fourth of July holiday, my children Sarah and Christopher and I flew down to Texas. We try to carve out some family time each summer, and this time it was in conjunction with witnessing my cousin receiving a prestigious award from NASA, visiting with many friends and, of course, a college visit to Texas A & M University. Each day while staying with my cousin and his family, I took a walk in throughout the subdivision in which he lives. While admiring the beautiful landscaping, I would test my plant identification skills. I recognized Crepe Myrtle and Lantana but did not know what Oleander was until I asked a local gardener. What stood out to me more than the plants themselves were the remnants of the flooding that had occurred just a few weeks earlier. The torrential down pours have affected their landscaping. Although we havenât had flooding in this area, for the state of Illinois this has been the wettest June in our state since 1902. Many yards in Huntley received over 8â of rain during June.
The effects of the moisture in the ground are being seen in and around our yards. Too much water can be as harmful as too little water. It seems awkward each time I say it, but the roots of plants need oxygen. A healthy soil consists of 25% air, 25% water, 45% minerals and 5% organic matter. When a soil is saturated with water, the amount of air in the soil decreases, therefore the roots are starved of oxygen. If this happens over a prolonged period of time, the leaves and branches can start showing the effects. Branches wilting and leaves turning yellow are two indications that the plants may be receiving too much water.
Some diseases are also more prevalent as a result of the excess moisture. Crabapple trees are starting to experience Apple scab. Apple Scab generally appears as brown spots near the veins of the leaves; the leaves turn yellow prematurely and then drop well before fall. It is a little too late to treat for that disease now, but a fungicide sprayed next year when the leaves are first emerging will help to control that disease. It should also be sprayed throughout the year, according to the product directions.
Roses have also been experiences fungal diseases and leaf miners. A 3 in 1 Rose Spray that contains an insecticide, miticide and fungicide will assist with those problems.
Weeds are the one category of plants that seem to be benefiting from all of this rain. Hand cultivating weeds from near flowers, shrubs and trees is a very effective means of control. Once the weeds are removed, you may want to spread Preen. It is a pre-emergent herbicide. This means that is suppresses the weed growth, even before they begin to grow. Preen is usually sold as a granular product that you can simply walk around and shake throughout your mulch beds. Remember, it doesnât kill the weeds that are growing; it simply reduces the number that might grow. If you have weeds growing around paver sidewalks and patios, or other areas where there are no good plants, then you could use a broad spectrum herbicide. These products have the potential to kill everything. Make sure to spray carefully and according to the product directions.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
