Blog

The recent rainy, cool weather is not making our vegetable gardens and flowers happy.

Steve Varga, chief horticulturist for ProGrass, says we should expect some problems with newly planted annuals and warm-weather vegetables, like tomatoes. This unseasonably cool weather has not only stalled growth, it may cause crinkled foliage in the upcoming week as leaves unfold. Some vegetable starts, like cucumbers and squash, are showing signs of powdery mildew. Once we dry out, a lot of the fungus will disappear. Your woody trees, shrubs and perennials should not be adversely affected by this weather.

It sounds cliche, but in my yard, the rain has spurred growth for the grass and weeds, but the vegetable starts all appear to be in holding pattern. Luckily, the weather is predicted to dry out some. Now, we will need to watch for a quick turn around from cool and wet to hot and dry. That quick-change is very hard on plants which need to 'harden off' or develop a thicker outer layer to protect against summer weather. Keep an eye on your landscape and make sure to turn the sprinkler system back on as it warms up.