Fungal Diseases

Wet conditions make a perfect environment for fungus to grow in your garden, along with crowded plants. Black spot and powdery mildew are the most common fungal diseases that can affect your garden. Both live up to their names, as black spot usually shows up as dark spots on the leaves of your plants and powdery mildew materializes as a white powdery substance on the surface of plants. The best way to eradicate these fungal diseases is to create air circulation for your plants, and you can do this by removing weeds, cutting back your plants, and removing dead plant material. 

Weeds

Weeds grow faster when the conditions are wet. Consistently weeding your garden and applying mulch will help you to stay ahead of the weeds and the damage they can do to your plants. Just remember not to over-mulch as this can be counter-productive. You can also kill weeds by using homemade pepper spray, diluted vinegar, or other off-the-shelf products. 

Pests

A wet environment brings out pests like slugs, caterpillars, and other insects that can bother your plants.  As with other challenges from wet weather, clearing weeds is a good first step in eradicating these pests. Weeding takes away these insects’ habitat and encourages them to move somewhere else. Another option is spraying for the individual varieties of pests that your garden may be infested with. 

At Lurvey Home and Garden Center, we carry many treatments for weed, pest, and fungal disease control. The type of product you will need depends on what challenges are affecting your plants and the extent of the damage. It’s always helpful if you bring in a picture so that our garden experts can help you find the right product for your needs. Don’t let the wet weather ruin your end-of-summer garden.