Among the most common garden problems are those of wind, frost and pests.
Frosts can kill young tender plants, new growth on established plants and cause damage to fruit trees if they are in bloom resulting in little or no fruit yield. It is advisable not to plant young seedlings or immature plants until the danger of frost has passed. If frost is forecast then cover tender plants or protect them in a greenhouse overnight. Established fruit trees can be draped with netting or fleece to protect them. The symptoms of frost damage are young stems and leaves shrivelling and turning black.
The wind can also be a real problem in the garden. Very strong winds will snap off and damage trees, plants and shrubs. The wind can also cause damage to young stems which will shrivel and turn black in subjected to exposure from the wind. One solution to the problem is to build wind shelters around susceptible plants such as Japanese maples.
Other garden problems can include wilting which affects all plants, including container and raised bed plants. Wilting is caused by either too much or too little water. The solution here is to find out which and if the plants have dried out you can try reviving them by watering. If the plants have been over watered, give them a few days to dry out, after which time careful controlled watering can be resumed. Plants which have been subjected to flooding may never recover; depending on how long they were submerged for and whether this has caused the plant’s root system to rot away.
Pests are a problem in the majority of all types of gardens. There are two approaches to getting rid of pests. One is the organic method; the other is to use chemicals.
Organic pest control is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people realize the potential and actual harmful effects most of the chemicals insecticides contain. Organic methods can vary depending on the size of the garden. Small gardens can be kept relatively pest free by simply going around and picking of the pests and their eggs by hand and destroying them. This method is incredibly time consuming for large gardens!
Large gardens can benefit from using nature itself by introducing friendly insects which feast on aphids and the like. The friendly insects can be encouraged to come into the garden by planting their preferred varieties of plants to lay their eggs on, or if this is not very successful it is possible to buy friendly insects and have them sent to you in the post!
It is a matter of personal choice as to the use of chemicals to solve the garden problems of pests, however, you may need to do some very careful label reading to ensure that the chemicals are not harmful to pets or children and that they only kill unfriendly insects and bugs.
Learn the secrets to growing a successful organic vegetable garden.
Posted on August 25th, 2008 by Jean-Helene
Filed under: Garden Problems | 1 Comment »