Stephanie Bruner
This week
•As the weather heats up and plants reach full size, you may need to water containers (and especially hanging baskets) twice a day.
•When you water containers (or plants in the ground), check that the soil is actually dry before you water. Some plants droop in the heat of midday, even with damp soil, because they’re transpiring moisture faster than they can take it up, but they’ll perk up as the sun moves off of them.
This month
•Order bare-root peonies now. They’re shipped in the fall, so ordering soon will ensure you get the selections you want.
•Spider mites are one of the pests of hot, dry summers. You may notice a bronze cast to leaves, and when you look underneath the leaves, you’ll see webbing dotted with tiny black moving insects. Clean plants by squirting a strong spray of water at the stems and undersides of the leaves. Be sure to keep plants healthy and well-watered to fight off these attacks.
•Divide or transplant Oriental poppies when the foliage has died down.
•Pay attention to plants that show signs of powdery mildew. In addition to treating the problem this summer, you may want to consider moving plants to a location with better air circulation and less crowding this fall, to minimize problems next summer.
