PORTSMOUTH — It's raining. Again. What's a gardener to do?
That question has been driving people to garden centers in droves recently, hoping to get some guidance on fungus, slugs and other problems caused by one of the wettest Junes on record. And July is not starting out auspiciously.
"Every day, we have a stream of people come in wondering what to do," said Beth Simpson, the owner of Rolling Green Nursery in Greenland. "It's been constant."
According to Simpson and other gardening experts, there's not a lot that can be done while it is still raining. Hopefully, gardeners laid the groundwork in the spring that will help the plants now, they said.
"The biggest issue is whether the plants are in soil that drains. When it's this kind of dump of rain, well-drained soils are the key," Simpson said.
University of New Hampshire Extension master gardener Tabby Burak said those with clay soils who have not added nutrients such as compost may see their plants suffer — particularly tender vegetable plants.
Burak said it's important for people to steer clear of their gardens completely while it's still raining. Walking in a garden while the soil is this wet will compact the soil and could damage fragile root systems.
In addition, she urged people not to touch the plants.
"When the leaves are wet, you can transfer diseases to other plants," she said. "It's best just to leave them alone until everything dries out."
Simpson said you'll know whether a garden plant has a fungus because the leaves will have spots and will be "crunchy." Perennials can be cut right back, she said, and are likely to bloom again.
Then there are the pests.
"Slugs and snails love this kind of weather," said David Bridges of Coastal Landscaping in York, Maine. "And aphids can get the upper hand, too."
Once the leaves are dry, both Simpson and Bridges said, there are a number of organic fungicides that can be used.
Simpson said cleanup of weeds is also important to reduce the spread of fungus and disease. Burak suggested that once people are able to go back into their gardens that they add some more organic material, such as compost, to the soil.
"But side dress it, about 6 inches out from the plant itself so you don't damage the roots, and cultivate lightly," she said. Any material that was added to the garden in the spring has definitely washed away in the rain, she said.
When it comes to outdoor gardening, there's a limit to adapting to the weather, Bridges said.
"They say, 'My gardens just aren't growing. My tomatoes just aren't growing,'" he said of his frustrated customers. "Hopefully, Mother Nature will get out of this pattern."
Burak said it's best to be philosophical.
"This is New England. This is what you get sometimes," she said. "This is a force of nature over which we have no control."