Garden Insights for June, 2024

Following are several insights for the season so far:

Hydrangeas
What a year we are having for the macrophylla/serrata Hydrangeas.  The blue/pink hydrangeas that have been so disappointing for many years.

These Hydrangeas start producing their flower buds in September and hold on during the Winter, as they are old-wood flowering plants.  With recent past Winter weather, where we have warm spells followed by cold weather and spring freezes, the buds held over the Winter have died, resulting in plants that don’t or sporadically flower. The Endless Summer strain flowers on old-wood and new-wood and has provided some flowers on new-wood.

This Winter not being too cold and a long cool Spring with no substantial freezes have left Hydrangeas absolutely covered in flower buds. It will make for a beautiful summer, but doesn’t make up for the sparse recent years.

Weeding
With the orderly weather this spring and lots of early rain, we are seeing a bumper crop of warm weather weeds showing up.

Don’t wait, get out there and pull them or use a Stirrup Hoe and cut them down before they go to flower and release their demon seed.  Be sure to look around the base of your plants as they like to hide under foliage.

Here is a link to an article I wrote a while ago on managing weeds.  Many weeds are plants that were introduced years ago before we understood their invasive tendencies, and it is important to understand that some weeds are annual while others are perennial.  This is important to know when considering how to manage.

Mosquito/Tick Treatments
This is a business line and industry that has exploded in recent years. It seems that a varied group of contractors are offering some sort of treatment.

While I don’t have the depth of knowledge to understand all the options, I have been hearing a lot about the ‘organic insecticide treatment’. Many companies use an organic product that is derived from Chrysanthemum blossoms called Pyrethrin. While it is an organic product as opposed to a synthetic chemical, it is just as dangerous to all insects in which it comes in contact.  These products are sprayed over your entire yard, and depending upon the timing will immediately kill all insects. It does have a quick half-life, meaning it doesn’t persist for long like the synthetic chemicals.

Companies that don’t have applicators licenses are allowed to utilize products that contain cedar oil and other volatiles that deter mosquitos but don’t break down the colonies.

To have an effective treatment, it must kill over 90% of the population and most of these treatments don’t achieve this, and their impact is only temporary. If you are going to pay for these expensive and repetitive treatments, please understand what is being applied and its impact on all insects in your garden.

There is an effective and simple treatment that has no adverse impacts. Check out this video by Doug Tallamy.  You can use leaves and grass too.  Place a few buckets under shrubs around your garden and it will help to break down the population.

Jumping Worms
UMass created this excellent fact sheet on Jumping Worms.  A topic that continues to come up with clients.  Chances are that many to most people may have them in their gardens, but they are not the garden killer that often is discussed. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do when they are in your garden, but there are some strategies to keep them out.

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