Wet Weather Gardening Tips
We’ve had a lot of rain this summer. Wet humid conditions can increase the chance of pests and diseases affecting your plants. Here are some tips for managing your garden in wet weather.
Key Garden Tasks to Keep Plants Healthy in Wet Weather
- Mulch – Woodchips, leaves, cardboard or straw are all acceptable. Mulch acts as a barrier to keep soil borne fungal spores off lower plant leaves.
- Fertility – constant rainfall can leach (remove) fertility from soil, making it unavailable to the plants. Make sure to monitor plant growth and health carefully to avoid a nutrient deficiency. This may be a good time to foliar spray with epsom salt solution, or to apply a simple organic fertilizer.
- Pruning – promote air circulation by pruning lower leaves. Try to minimize lower leaf contact with soil. Use sterilized pruners to remove any diseased leaves and make sure to put diseased leaves in the garbage (not the compost!) after pruning.
- Work when the weather is dry. Disease spreads easily from plant to plant when leaves are wet, so avoid pruning or harvesting until the foliage has dried off.
- Prune and stake the plants to improve aeration.
- Plant in raised beds or mounds to improve soil drainage. This will stop diseases like anthracnose or root rot from infecting your plants.
- Choose disease resistant cultivars if you expect rainy conditions in your area.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND RESPONDING TO CROP-SPECIFIC DISEASES WITH THESE ARTICLES:
TOMATOES- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/realestate/problems-with-tomatoes.html
BEANS- https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest-management/disease-factsheets/bacterial-diseases-of-beans/
SQUASH- https://harvesttotable.com/squash_squash_growing_success/
CABBAGE, KALE, BROCCOLI- https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/disease-and-pests/common-cabbage-diseases/