Wet Weather Good and Bad for Gardens

Hydrangeas often develop leaf spot in late summer following rainy weather. Like many leaf spot diseases on ornamentals, this problem is mostly cosmetic and usually does not require spraying.

Recent heavy rains have been both good and bad for gardens in our area. The rainfall, and the milder weather that came with it, were a much needed relief from the scorching heat of the July 4th week. As a result of this abundant moisture, many plants have put on new growth and appear much healthier than a few weeks ago. But this healthy veneer may not last as moisture induced disease problems start to become obvious. Common wet weather diseases include leaf spot, root rot, and southern stem blight. To learn more about these problems read the rest of the article posted here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/07/wet-weather-good-and-bad-for-gardens/

Leaf spot diseases on vegetables are more serious because they often cause reductions in yield. This is Septoria leaf spot on tomato. Image source: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/info/plant-diseases/septoria-leaf-spot