JULY
With all the recent rain, our state is green and growing. Along with the rain, we now have heat and humidity. Diseases are also on the rise along with insect problems.
• Mosquitoes are everywhere, so look for standing water and dump it from your yard.
• One benefit is that heavy rain tends to wash away aphids and spider mites. They are more of a problem when it is hot and dry.
• Japanese beetles are a devastating insect pest that used to be limited to the northern tier of our state, but they are on the move. Roses and other plants are being hit as far south as Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties. Monitor your garden every week. The sooner you can see a problem and identify it, the quicker you can begin solving the problem.
• Gardens aren't the only things growing — weeds are everywhere. I have heard so many gardeners say they have more of: poison ivy, Virginia creeper, nutgrass, mulberry weed and on and on this year than ever before. One day you weed, and you turn around and they are back. It is a never-ending problem. A sharp hoe is the best line of defense if you can work around the plants. Try to remove as many as you can. Prevent them from blooming and mulch to keep them from coming back. Perennial woody weeds are much worse than annual weeds.
• Vegetable gardens are producing well. Home-grown tomatoes grace many tables, along with peppers, squash, cucumbers and more. Cool-season vegetables are coming to an end. As you harvest, replant the space with something else. You can still find tomato and pepper plants at local nurseries and garden centers, and there is still time to plant pumpkins for a fall harvest.
• With all the rain, you might want to thin out some of the excess foliage from your squash plants to aid in airflow. Trapped moisture under all those large leaves can lead to fruit rot.
• Blossom-end rot has not been prevalent so far this year, but it will come. Try to keep the garden evenly moist to prevent this calcium deficiency that causes the bottom of the fruit to rot.
• Annual and perennial flowers are doing well. Nurseries report selling record numbers of annuals and perennials: Gardeners are at home.
• To keep your plants blooming their best, deadhead spent flowers and fertilize annuals every two to three weeks. If you still need more color, it is available. I see new shipments being delivered to nurseries near me. (And for gardeners, it might not be a need so much as a want.)
• Although we have had more rain than normal for an Arkansas summer, experience teaches us that it isn't going to last. Watering is usually our leading job in the garden from July through September. Monitor your own yard. Even when we do get rain, it can be spotty.
• Tropical flowers love the hot, humid summer and can add a boost of color to any garden. From tropical hibiscus in vibrant shades of pink, yellow, orange and red to a pink, red or white mandevilla, to the deep purple of tibouchina and large luscious leaves on bananas and elephant ears, there are plenty of ways to add color that can take the heat. New shipments keep appearing at local nurseries, so stop in and see what is available. If you are growing tropicals in containers, daily watering is probably necessary. Don't forget to add some fertilizer to them at least once every two to three weeks. The more you water, the more the nutrition is leached out. Make sure they are well watered before you fertilize so you don't burn them.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Monarda species are commonly called bee balm, bergamot or horsemint.
Monarda is a genus of plants in the mint family. Depending on variety, these native plants can grow between 2 and 4 feet tall, and they spread over a great distance.
Flower color can be bright red, purple, white or pale pink. The flowers comprise a number of slender, tubular flowers forming a head of blooms.
Butterflies and bees adore this plant, which does best in full sun.
Like all members of the mint family, the plant has square stems. The foliage is quite aromatic.
In dry conditions, it doesn't spread as rapidly as it does in moist areas. If the plants get too crowded, or air circulation is cut down, it can suffer from powdery mildew. It can bloom all summer into fall, but deadheading the spent flowers will keep it blooming better. It will also tolerate a haircut if it is getting too tall.
New varieties are available that are much more compact than the native plants and will not spread.
The name bee balm comes from the folk use of crushed leaves to soothe bee stings. The plant has also been used to make tea and has other medicinal properties as well. It is generally believed that after the Boston Tea Party, the American Colonists used Monarda to make tea. Today wild bergamot is the flavoring in Earl Gray tea.
Read Janet Carson's blog at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet.