There are important things to check in your garden at this time if you are growing fruit. Robin Trott, Extension educator in Douglas County, recently sent out information we should be aware of during this extremely wet summer.
“From backyard raspberries to small orchards of apples, pears, plums and grapes, problems are multiplying under leafy canopies.
“Apple scab is a regular late-summer visitor, leaving olive blotches on leaves and dark spots on fruit. If ignored,
it can cause
early leaf drop and cracked, unsightly apples.
Fire blight,
more dramatic and often more damaging, scorches apple and pear shoots, leaving them looking burned. Though bacterial in nature, moisture helps it spread, especially in trees that were wounded earlier in the season.
“Plums are
facing their own
midsummer saga.
Black knot
is unmistakable, characterized by swollen, black galls that resemble chunks of charred rope. The disease spreads in the spring, but it leaves its mark now. Meanwhile,
brown rot
appears as a fuzzy, tan mold on ripening fruit, especially after a string of damp days.
“Grapes aren’t faring much better.
Black rot
turns
fruit
into hard, shriveled mummies and dots leaves with blotches.
Downy mildew
creates greasy, yellow patches and fluffy, white growth on the undersides of leaves. As clusters ripen,
gray mold (Botrytis)
lurks, softening fruit and complicating harvests.
“Gray mold on
raspberry
spreads fast in humid, stagnant conditions, clinging to fruit and foliage.
Powdery mildew
coats leaves and berries in white fuzz, while late leaf rust dots foliage and fruit with bright yellow spores, rendering berries unfit to eat.
“Good hygiene is important. Remove fallen fruit and damaged leaves to break disease cycles. Prune for airflow — dense foliage traps moisture like a sponge. Avoid late-day watering and disinfect tools between plants. Fungicides can help combat persistent threats like apple scab or black rot, but they are most effective when used in conjunction with consistent observation.
“In a season like this, with moisture running high and fruit hanging low, vigilance isn’t optional. It’s the difference between a beautiful harvest and a battle with the compost bin. So, walk your garden, notice the small things, and trust that the fruit you save today is worth the extra glance.”
If you want your annuals to continue to produce until fall, you need to keep deadheading them. There are several annuals that don’t need deadheading.
Angelonia, begonia, and lobelia are three that don’t need to be deadheaded.
The Supertunia series of petunia does not require deadheading. That is the reason Bubblegum Pink Supertunia is my favorite annual. This one fills the pot quicker than any of the other supertunias and is so careful and colorful. There are many in this series of supertunias. They come in purple, red, pink, orange, yellow, white or even multicolored.
The Profusion series of zinnias don’t need to be deadheaded either. They are low-maintenance, bright and colorful and reliable bloomers. They give you wonderful blooms for bouquets to bring in the house.
Something to remember when shopping next spring.
Master Gardener Sue Morris has been writing a column since 1991 for Kandiyohi County newspapers. Morris has been certified through the University of Minnesota as a gardening and horticulture expert since 1983. She lives in Kandiyohi County.
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