Gardening Tip of Month: Too much rain causes big garden problems
With record rainfall in May, the drought may be gone but new problems have arisen for most gardeners.
In June 1989, another month of record heavy rainfall in Oklahoma City, Loretta Aaron had these words of wisdom for gardeners faced with too much rain:
• Get oxygen to the roots. When it comes to rainfall in Oklahoma, it is either feast or famine. Plants and gardeners have been under extreme stress — not to mention water. Unless their gardens are on a hilltop, gardeners likely experienced some plant loss.
Water-logged soil, which resulted in loss of oxygen to the root system, caused bedding plants, perennials and even some shrubs and young trees to die. Okra and periwinkles were the first to go. As soon as soil is workable, cultivate around all plants to break the crust formed by the downpours and allow air to penetrate the soil.
• Combat roly poly explosions. With the prolonged monsoon season, the sow bug population exploded. A check under plants will reveal hordes of the hungry critters. Available chemicals to combat this problem have a rather short lifespan at best. Chemicals lose their effectiveness quickly after they become damp. Prepared baits can be applied under the plants where the sow bugs gather. Sevin dust, which is among the better chemicals available, can be purchased in shaker canisters. This non-toxic chemical is safe to use in gardens with pets or birds. After every heavy rain after the soil dries slightly, sprinkle the dust in areas of heavy infestation. Sprinkle material under the foliage, not on it.
• Check for bagworms. The rains have not stopped the bagworm. If needle evergreens appear smaller, check them out. With their hearty appetites, bag worms can devour an evergreen in just a few weeks. Susceptible plants are arbor vitae, cedar, juniper and spruce. Check with your local nurseryman on available controls.
• Control fungal diseases. Also be on the lookout for fungal diseases, especially on roses and crape myrtles. If you have not started a preventive program, do so immediately. Control is easier than cure. Apply a fungicide weekly, more often if it rains for days on end. Drench plants thoroughly and even direct the spray material on the soil around the plants to kill spores living in the soil from diseased foliage dropped last fall. A light application of sulfur on the soil around the plants is also beneficial because this is a fungicide, and it will kill the spores.
For 21 years, Loretta Aaron, an Oklahoma City gardening expert, was a beloved and well-known gardening columnist for The Oklahoman. Loretta died in 2009. With the permission of Loretta's family, we reprint some of Loretta's words of gardening wisdom.