As we enter August, local gardens and raised beds are producing veggies and fruits, and late-summer blooms are brightening lawns and borders.
And hot, humid weather stretches, along with bouts of heavy rain, have created some challenges for local gardeners. Vermont is expected to see more frequent and intense extreme rain events due to climate change.
Where have all the bees gone?
Q: Well, it's late summer, and there's nary a bee to be seen. I'm over here in the Adirondacks near Gore Mountain and North Creek. It seems like I saw plenty when the fruit trees were in bloom. Maybe there's a "dearth" going on? Tell me they'll be back! - Richard in North River, New York
A: The lack of bees might be due to rainy, wet and humid summer weather. For the remainder of the season, there are some ways to help the bees along and entice them back to your yard!
Plan to plant lots of different native flowers, trees and shrubs, and try to choose varieties that will bloom all season long, or in succession.
That will create spaces where bees and pollinators can find reliable sources of food. Then, add a water source in your yard or garden space.
These tips should help support bees and beneficial insects and make your lawn pollinator-friendly, in all kinds of weather.
What is making our crabapple tree leaves spotty and yellow?
Q: We have a 30-year-old crabapple tree. Although it appears healthy every spring, every mid-July, the leaves become spotty and yellow and fall to the ground through the rest of the summer. What could this be? - Jim, via email
A: Apple scab, a fungal disease, could be the cause of the spotty and yellowing crabapple leaves and fruits.
And this fungus on your tree is not surprising, given that the summer has been wetter, hotter and more humid — conditions that fungi thrive in.
Going forward, you could plant certain resistant tree varieties. If you have a favorite crabapple you cherish, you could try these tips to keep it healthy.
Begin by cleaning up all the yellow and spotted leaves as they drop, especially in the fall. Removing the leaves helps remove the fungus inoculum from the soil and tree area.
Then, come winter, try pruning it a little heavier than you might in a normal year. A heavy pruning could help open the tree up a bit more, allowing better air flow.
These tips can help dry out the leaves come spring and summer, and — provided it's an overall drier growing season next year — your tree should be less likely to get apple scab disease.
Q: It's been a weird weather year so far. We can't seem to rely on the forecasts. Is it better to water even if they call for rain or not water the garden and hope for the best? - Morgan, via email
A: When it comes to watering your garden, go by the simple rule of thumb: if it's dry, water it! And water deeply and infrequently (yes, you read that correctly).
This watering technique helps promote root development and plant growth in your garden. Use this watering method on trees, shrubs and perennials, too.
Q: I've just become aware of a little fly that injects an egg into blueberries as part of its life cycle. Once I started looking, I found a lot in my blueberries. Is this common and what can I do about it? - Ann, via email
A: The drosophila fruit fly is becoming more common here, and it affects blueberries, fall raspberries and other berries that mature later in the season.
Unlike the sorts of fruit flies you often find buzzing around ripe or overripe fruit, the particular fruit fly lays its egg inside fresh berries, sometimes even before they are ripe.
From there, the egg grows into a small larva inside the fruit. As the larva matures, it feasts on the fruit and ruins your harvest.
Certain sprays can help, but perhaps the best remedy, especially if you only have a few bushes, is to cover them with very small mesh netting.
This helps ensure the fruit flies can't access your berry bushes and lay their eggs at all.
Also, this summer, try to break up that life cycle by raking up the berries as they drop, because those have larvae that will turn into adult fruit flies.
Q: I have two arrowwood viburnum, each about three years old. One is an Autumn Jazz and one, a Blue Muffin. They are in part sun but have not bloomed the past two years and something is eating the leaves. How do I get them to bloom? What's eating the leaves? How do I treat them? - Pat, via email
A: One reason your viburnum plants haven't been blooming may be due to the amount of light they receive. If you can trim some trees around them to allow more sunlight, that could make a big difference.
And the viburnum leaf beetle is likely eating the plant's leaves. You can remedy this for next year by doing some early-season sleuthing.
Once the leaves first start coming out in spring, check the bottom sides of the leaves for the leaf beetle caterpillars. If there are just a few, crush them with your hand.
If there are lots of caterpillars or you have several viburnum, certain sprays can help mitigate the leaf beetles.
Removing the caterpillars before they do any leaf damage can help your viburnum bounce back.
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