You gardeners out there know how awesome of a season this has been for gardening. Some things however, are still beyond the control of even the greenest of green thumbs. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t see fit to ask gardeners for advice or permission. But have no fear; we have put together some solutions for common garden problems to help you out.

What’s wrong with my tomatoes?

My tomatoes are “splitting.” This is caused by the insides growing faster than the skin. The best way to alleviate this problem is to keep your tomato plants evenly watered.

My tomatoes have “Black spots on the fruit and leaves.” Most likely this is “late blight”. The fungal growth occurs in moist weather with cooler nights and warmer days. It is helpful to alleviate this problem by watering at the base of the tomato plants. Avoid watering in the late afternoon or evening with sprinklers. Keep the foliage dry. Apply a fungicide immediately (we suggest Bonide Tomato + Vegetable 3 in 1 Spray). Rotate the crops each year, allow air circulation between plants and remove wilted leaves as soon as you notice them.

What happened to my marigolds?

“I only have the stems and the flower left on my marigolds. All the leaves are gone.”  Sounds like you have slugs or snails. Slugs leave slime trails and eat large ragged holes in the leaves until there are no more left. We suggest using Bonide Slug Magic.

It is biodegradable and safe for use around kids, pets and wildlife, worms and beneficial bugs. Slug magic can be used in fruit and vegetable gardens up to the day of harvest. Simply sprinkle on the soil surface near the affected plants-pellets remain effective for a full two weeks even if it rains.

What happened to my houseplants?

“When I water my house plants, I noticed what looks like tiny white dust particles on the leaves and in the air.”  Sounds like that is not dust but live “white fly”. Yes that’s gross.

Whiteflies are an unsightly and destructive blight on a garden or houseplant, covering plants with a butt of white, moth-like insects and masses of white eggs. They are usually found on the underside of leaves, sucking the sap out of the infested plants. We suggest spraying with Bonide Insecticidal Soap.

What happened to my zinnias?

“My zinnias have a white powder on the stem and leaves.”  It sounds like your once-beautiful zinnias have been attacked by a common fungal disease called Powdery Mildew.

This disease starts out as a few spores on the leaves, and quickly spreads, eventually yellowing the leaves and causing premature leaf drop, stunted plant growth and eventual overall weakening of the plant. We suggest you spray early in the day with Neem Oil, which both treats existing powdery mildew and protects the plant against further infection.

You could also choose to spray your plants with a wonderful general purpose garden spray by Bonide called “8”. This insecticide kills 100 common garden insects.

Plants that are badly infected should be ripped out and destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading further.

What’s wrong with my apples?

“My apples have spots on them.” Apple Scab is a fungus disease that attacks apple leaves, stems and fruit.

This disease is worse in areas with higher rainfall and humidity. In the Northeast, Apple Scab is so strong that commercial growers can’t produce a successful crop without treating for it. We suggest spraying with Bonide Citrus Fruit and Nut Orchard Spray or Bonide Fruit Tree Spray.

What happened to my petunias?

“My beautiful petunias are getting long and leggy with lots of dried buds.”  It’s time to give your petunias a serious haircut! Petunias will only flower at the end of their stems, and those stems just seem to grow forever don’t they! Every week choose 3-4 flowers to volunteer as tribute and cut their stems in half. The plant will produce two new growing tips below the cut. Start this process when you first get your flower and you’ll never be lacking for flowers!

Wrap Up

Don’t let your garden fall prey to these common problems! If you have any more questions reach out to us today at Koopmanlumber.com. At Koopman Lumber, we know plants. For years, we’ve trained our staff to be the best, so you’ve got some firepower in your corner when you need to combat pests and disease!