As promised yesterday, today we examine the ugly underbelly of my gardens. It is real seedy (pun intended), sort of like what Times Square in NYC looked like pre-Rudy Giuliani.
So as a warning, it ain’t going to be pretty, but … just maybe you can find it in your heart to offer me your support and more importantly, specific advice so we all don’t have to witness this again.
We’ll start things off nice so you can slowly take in all of the carnage to follow:
Awwww … a sleeping baby deer. How cute. Where the f is Ted Nugent when I need him? I kid, but the deer have now taken to napping right in the middle of the backyard and it makes me nervous. They are getting too comfortable.
It’s like Dawn of the Dead with all the zombies slowly approaching with nothing other than destruction in mind.
Speaking of destruction, as I mentioned yesterday, the deer literally ate off every single flower bud off of my precious Daylilies that are right next to my front steps. These blooms are otherworldly and they stole the dream from me. The front beds were typically off limits to the deer but they have crossed that line so time to put some sort of plan into action.
Yeah Aphids! They haven’t really damaged the Asclepias Incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) but they are covering all three plants. The interesting thing is that there are also ladybugs on these plants so I figure, for now, to let nature take its course. Good idea? Or do I hose them all off?
Nice, right? I really know how to grow ’em. We had a severe drought so that explains some of it but this Ilex ‘Blue Princess’ was planted at the exact same time as the one below which looks OK.
This is the interior of a Phlox ‘David’ and this happens almost every year. The leaves brown up from the ground and work their way up the plant. From my research, it appears to be from some sort of fungi that splashes on the plant from rainfall or watering. Oh really, these f’ers haven’t seen much rain the past few months. Doesn’t appear to be powdery mildew either which is the Phlox biggest nightmare. I need answers.
Like a hot dog, I am on a roll …. with destruction that is. Another Ilex, this one is ‘Bennetts Compact’ that decided to just give up and let herself go. Any possibility this is due to the fact that it is planted near the foundation? Two of the three I planted two months ago look just like this. It is an awesome view when you walk up my front steps to enter the house. “He must have a green thumb” (wink wink).
I found these two lifeless Japanese Beetles piled on top of each other on the Basil. They are either deceased from overindulging or they just finished enjoying each other and were too much in the “afterglow” to be able to move. Seriously, how do I handle these guys? The “drop them in soapy water” thing means they have already done damage.
Yum! I have red tomatoes but they appear to be falling off the vine too soon before they can develop.
The browning of the foliage on the Dwarf Alberta Spruce has me mildly concerned (considering all else going on) and I am hoping it is a temporary blip. Do I cut it out or let things correct themselves?
Finally, similar to the Phlox, the Rudbeckia are getting black spot on the lower leaves with them all eventually browning and falling off. They are blooming just fine but some just look nasty up close and pulling off the dead leaves feels like a hopeless task. Good times!
Hopefully I’ve made you all feel better about your own gardens or hopefully we can all learn something from my intelligent readers, so we can be more proactive in the future. All of you who provide feedback (even if you laugh at me) will be rewarded handsomely in a future post.
Peace
What a bummer! Aphids seem to appear every spring in our garden and they gross me out big time. I use insecticidal soap on the affected plants and this seems to work okay. I have sprayed them with water before if there are just a few, but when they have a family reunion the water blasting isn’t as effective b/c they climb right back on the plants.
My ‘David’ Phlox has bit hit with powdery mildew this year — last year it was fine, but sadly it was hit this year.
Have you had a soil test recently? Check to see if you have a local extension service office that would do these for free? While I have zero clue what be wrong with your plants, maybe a soil test would give you some insight. I’m more of a trial-and-error gardener!
Best of luck in bringing these guys back!
P.S. Ted Nugent is in Waco – crazy, huh?! 🙂
You totally lied. Your deer don’t wear shirts. I’m never taking you seriously again.
I wonder why the deer here never bother my shit? Before I epically failed at growing vegetables, I would occasionally find all of the leaves gnawed off my peppers. But that’s about it. No digging of bulbs, no chewing of lilies.
What have I deduced? You’re deer-bait.
Deer Suck. And people are stupid. They say, “put out bags of human hair; the scent will scare them away.” Oh really, Sherlock, because the deer aren’t afraid of the hair on my f-cking head when I’m standing in the yard yelling at them. My neighbors think I’m crazy, but their yard looks like shit and must taste like it, too, because the deer don’t go near it. Deer, I hate ’em.
Thank you for making me feel better about some crappy things going on in my garden (lots of them same as yours…only its my echinacea with the rotting stems and chipmunk as the archnemesis).
Looks like you’ve got blossom end rot on your tomatoes. Make sure they are staying evenly watered and that your soil has enough calcium. Try adding some bone meal or finely crushed eggshells.
OK, my analysis…
1) Aphids… leave the ladybugs to do their job. When you don’t see anymore ladybugs, then spray the hell out of the plant with insecticidal soap or Sevin.
2) The hollies… 🙁 Clean up the leaves, cut back any ends that are brittle and are visibly brown. Do the scratch test on the stem. If their is green inside, LEAVE it, and keep watering it. Hollies have a great ability to refoliate.
3) Phlox… pull the mulch away from the base of the plant. Looks like a fungus. Try a systemic fungicide like “Infuse” by bonide products. Cut away all the brown stems and definitely CLEAN away any leaves that may have dropped as it will only decay and do a cycle of fungus throughout the plant. Next year, apply it immediately when the leaves start appearing -don’t wait for it to get like this.
4) Beetles on basil… hose them off..
5) Definitely blossom end rot on the tomatoes – yes, add bonemeal or get a foliar spray called, “Rot Stop” … I have it… it’s full of calcium that they need to prevent this disease. Make sure you are watering only in the morning and evenly..
6)Dwarf Alberta … looks like Mite damage. Prune off ends and spray entire plant with Sevin.
7) Rudbeckia — same as phlox. Prune of dead leaves apply Infuse.
Hope that helps.
I have the same issue you have with your phlox with my lupine’s. I haven’t a clue how to prevent it. It looks terrible!
Hi Dirt Digger,
The dying plant problem may be caused by the mulch. If suppliers store it in big quantities for a period of time,particularly dark mulches, toxins build up in the core of the pile that are a killer for shrubs etc. It helps to spread the mulch out somewhere before using it, hosing it down heavily, and leaving it for a couple of weeks.
On a lighter note….although the deer are such a pain in the arse, they do look sweet! The post is hilarious as ever.
I was helping a friend with her gardening problems when I discovered that her black mulch (which looks remarkably like yours) was pre-treated with an herbicide to help control weeds. Not a good thing when you are mulching around plants!