Monitor the landscape for summer insect pests, such as Japanese Beetles and Stink Bugs. When possible, use non-toxic means to control them such as picking the pests by hand and dropping them into a bucket of soapy water. If that’s not practical, contact our Horticultural Help Desk for advice on more appropriate pest control strategies.
Mid-summer is when a lot of plant diseases become noticeable including fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, black spot, rust, root rot, etc. Early detection and prevention can make the difference from minor annoyance to devastation. For help identifying and treating plant disease, check with our Help Desk located at the Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
Encourage fireflies in the landscape. Their larvae eat mites, slugs, snails, and soft-bodied insects larvae. Incorporate a variety of shrubs, grasses, and perennials to provide habitat for them. Because fireflies communicate by light signals, dim or turn off unnecessary exterior lights to minimize light pollution.
Ornamental Garden
In the absence of sufficient rainfall, water plants slowly and deeply in the early morning hours.
Pay close attention to the moisture levels of all newly planted perennials, trees, and shrubs.
Container gardens often dry out very quickly and may need to be watered daily.
Garden phlox and Monarda species are often susceptible to powdery mildew. When buying these plants for your garden, look for cultivars that are more disease resistant.
Deadhead day lilies (Hemerocallis) to keep them looking tidy. Snap off each spent blossom at its base, but be careful not to snap off adjacent buds by accident.
To control pests, hand pick slugs, stink bugs, Japanese Beetles, and other pests and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. Knock aphids off susceptible plants with sharp spray of water from a hose.
Irises may be divided now through September to give them time to become re-established before cold weather arrives.
Edible Garden
Protect edible crops from water stress. Too much or too little water can affect the taste and quality of some vegetables. For example, tomatoes often crack from drought conditions followed by a heavy rain.
Direct seed cool-season crops such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts in the garden.
If you find it necessary to spray vegetables with an insecticide, check the label carefully to find out how many days you must wait before you can harvest from the affected plants.
Check tomatoes from sun scald, which is frequently a problem if the plants are not caged. Place shade cloth or an old window screen over the plant to help shade the fruit.
Lawn
Crabgrass is a summer annual that represents a major nuisance in the landscape. As an alternative to using herbicides, control crabgrass by digging it out by the roots and making sure you remove every bit of the plant.
Other annual weeds, such as yellow wood sorrel and ragweed, are prolific re-seeders that should be removed from the landscape before they set seed.
Horse nettle is a perennial weed that must be completely dug up. Otherwise, any parts of the root system left in the soil can remain viable for years.
Japanese Beetle eggs hatch into grubs, which may feed heavily on grass roots from July through early Fall, causing extensive damage. Symptoms of grub damage include yellowing or browning of grass. These symptoms can be indicative of other causes, so pull back a patch of grass to verify the presence of grubs. For more information on this pest, readVCE Publication 2902-1101.
