It’s been a beautiful week of weather. The sun shining with lovely cool breezes–a sign of the coming seasonal change. Walking around the gardens, it definitely has that late August look. Weeds creeping in here and there, the bygone stalks of flowers–and yet the late bloomers and harvests are a thing of beauty.
Traversing around the yard and around the local trails, I’ve been seeing so many mushrooms! With the humid weather, mushrooms and fungi can really flourish. At Nashua Farmers’ Exchange, it is not unusual for customers to come in concerned with mushrooms growing in lawns. I tell folks that mushrooms are actually helping out your soil. Mushrooms are simply the fruiting bodies of fungi living underground. Mushrooms actually help break down organic material in your soil (something your lawn will thank you for). Though, understandably, folks with hungry and curious pups get very concerned about mushrooms in the yard. There isn’t a spray or herbicide that I recommend for this. Mowing them as you mow the lawn is a great solution for limiting these fruiting bodies.
Speaking of fungus, the UMASS Extension Service recently issued a warning for cucurbit downy mildew. There were reports of downy mildew in Pennsylvania and northern Ohio. With some storm systems moving in this direction, the Extension Service is recommending applying a preventative fungicide on your cucurbits (this includes cucumbers, squash, watermelon, etc.). Downy mildew thrives in the late-August humidity and spores travel on the wind. If there is a suspected threat of downy mildew, preventative measures are essential. Once a plant has contracted downy mildew, there is nothing to be done as it is a highly destructive “fungal-like organism called an oomycete. It appears with fungus on the underside of foliage, and it also presents on the topside of the foliage with angular, yellow-brown lesions along veins of the leaf.
This is also the time of year that the highly invasive Japanese Knot Weed (many refer to it as a type of bamboo) is flourishing; however, this is also that time of year that Japanese Knot Weed can be well controlled with chemical means. If you can, get this stuff out! It spreads like crazy. If you need to use chemical control, be sure to properly identify the plant and use it appropriately–timing is everything. Feel free to come by the store with samples and concerns–we can help advise!
A few other thinking to keep in mind around the yard:
● Crabgrass: get it out as best you can ASAP. They will soon be ready to drop their seeds, which can live in your soil for years. Once you pull what you can, remember that it’s the perfect time to throw some grass seed down. It will really set you up for success next year.
● Cabbage looper: these little white moths LOVE brassicus (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower). As caterpillars, they blend perfectly into brassicus foliage, and are so destructive. Be aware if you have any Fall plantings growing, and if you spy these caterpillars and moths, you can apply B.T..
● Squash Vine Borer & Japanese Beetles: Are you tired of me talking about these guys yet? Yes, they are still at large. Be observant and get those buggers!
Okay, enough garden alerts and pest talk! At my house, we’re still harvesting tomatoes, tomatillos, okra, cucumbers…and we are starting to spy little baby butternut squashes on the vine! We also managed to process some of the tomatoes. We canned tomatoes whole (with a little fresh basil), and we made some stewed tomatoes. I love having herbs for the winter time, and am an avid tea drinker, so we’re drying some of our parsley, basil, and mojito mint!
In the flower beds, I have seen SUCH cool things this week. My bees have been so, so happy and doing the cutest things! On my Red Flame Celosia and my Flamingo Feather Celosia, every morning I’ve been waking up to sleepy, dew-covered bumblebees having a lovely snooze on these flowers. They have also been enjoying afternoon nectar naps on my Fireball Strawflowers. I’m obsessed, it’s so precious. Also, I’m completely obsessed with strawflowers. It’s my first year growing them, and I’m going to plant way more next year! One more surprise in the flower beds? My gladiolus had an unusual visitor. Stuck inside the narrow throated bloom: a katydid! I got a good chuckle out of seeing its little rear end poking out of this flower.
That’s a wrap on this week’s garden report! Do yourself a favor and go get some peaches from your local farm! The batch I got at Kimball’s Fruit Farm last week was absolutely delightful!
Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.
