Water Your Plants - Japanese Beetles

Are your annual baskets looking a little weathered and in need of attention? Cut them back and give them a little fertilizer. You do not have to dump your baskets, especially your hanging ones. I am sure that by now they are looking sad. Cut them back, add a little fertilizer and/or soil. By now the root system is probably very, very well established and there is not enough soil in the pots to hold moisture. It is supposed to be very hot during the next week for sure. Take your baskets down and give them a rest, at least for the weekend. If you add soil to the pot and add just a touch of your favorite fertilizer and then give them a huge drink of water they will revive and start new shoots within a very short period of time.

If you have added any new trees, shrubs or plants this year, make sure they have enough water. We had a lot of rain in June and the first part of July which is ideal for newly planted foilage but do not forget to keep it up. Anytime the temperature is near ninety all plants need a extra drink. We have been fortunate this year to have had enough rain, in places too much, but remember two years ago, a lot of plants did not survive. Whole fields of crops dried up and withered.

Bad news, the Japanese beetles are out in full force. They can strip the leaves, leaving just the veins. They will eat almost anything. I have found nothing that really works to get rid of them. I used to walk around with a long handled trowel and a butter tub filled with 2 parts of ammonia to 8 parts of water, and place it under them and tap the branch, they fall in and drown. That was years ago when we only had a few. This year, for some reason, they are out in force. They always pick out the nicest bud, to do their thing.  If you have found something out there that really works other than Grubex, let us know.

I saw three praying mantis in my garden today. I know they are good bugs and eat some pests but I guess its back to the books to find out what. Maybe aphids? They are very fragile looking, when you see them up close. They are truely remarkable when you see them on a plant, a beautiful shade of light green. They blend right in. Of course they do, that is what God intended.

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