To quote the late Elvis Presley, “Lord Almighty, I feel the heat rising.” Unfortunately, I'm not a fiery ball of love, but a sweaty Houston gardener. Texas has been hot and has had its share of extreme weather. After several devastating storms that caused flooding, widespread power outages, downed trees, and damaged roofs, yard work may not be the last thing on Houston's mind.
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Houston gardeners reap what they sow.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
For those lucky enough to make it through unscathed, June will be a month of bountiful vegetable and fruit harvests and battling pests and disease. This month's list of nuisances includes leaf-footed stink bugs, fall nettles, mosquitoes and tomato wasps.
Gardening in Houston can be tough because of our climate. Northerners may envy our tomatoes in early May and roses blooming in February, but the summer months are tough, and this year the summer started in mid-May, with high temperatures and unpredictable storms causing serious problems in our gardens.
Good stuff
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Be sure to eat or preserve what you harvest.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
For those who started their vegetable patch early, May was a pretty good month for early tomato, peaches, and blackberry harvests. My neighbor had a swarm of bees on his facade, but he may have been lucky to be near my orchard and vegetable patch. I harvested 80 peaches from an unnamed peach tree, about 10 times my usual harvest. They weren't all beautiful, blemish-free peaches, but there was enough fruit to eat fresh and freeze. I also tried making peach jam, and since they're still alive, I'd say it was “not bad.”
We also had more tomatoes than we could handle, especially the cherry types. Unfortunately, the heavy rains caused a few to split. The yellow pear tomatoes were a bit bland from all the water we got in May. The blackberries, Arapahos and Natchezes didn't suffer at all. We're picking close to a pint a day, so a few white stones every now and then hasn't been too much of a problem.
My butterfly garden is in full bloom during the month of May and the butterflies are overjoyed. Birds and squirrels rarely go near my food garden, which may be thanks to five filled bird feeders and two Labradors patrolling the garden.
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Beautiful roses are no longer beautiful by mid-afternoon in the Houston heat.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
While many of the cool weather annuals, such as lobelias and dianthus, are starting to die back, the Texas bluebell cultivars, eustomas, are thriving, as are the garden's various salvias, lantanas, plumbagos, and pentas. They may have had a bit too much rain, but they're still thriving. Roses are doing well this month, too, although the heat is causing the flowers to wither by the afternoon.
bad person
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White fruit syndrome has not been much of a problem this year.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
The adage “take the bad with the good” certainly applies to gardening, and every gardener must accept that fact at some point. Beautiful rose buds attract thrips. Leafhoppers and stink bugs love juicy berries and ripe tomatoes. And Houston gardens are a constant battle with weeds, which smother newly planted lawns, wrap around garden plants and rob the soil of nutrients for their own greedy selves.
Some gardeners become desperate and rush to the herbicide section of the garden center. Although it may be fun to spray the offending plants and watch them die, most herbicides are dangerous to surrounding plants, beneficial insects, pets, and humans. Proponents of herbicides and pesticides say the chemicals are safe if used correctly. While this claim is debatable, the reality is that many amateurs do not use these products correctly.
The natural way to deal with weeds is by hand. Yes, it's hard work to pull weeds regularly, and it's hard work to carry around bags of mulch, but gardening is about coexisting with nature, not eliminating it.
Bagley
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This tomato hawk moth will soon die.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
I can usually stand the heat, but when mosquitoes are added to the mix, it's extremely annoying. I avoid using chemicals on my plants, but I haven't found a way to avoid using repellent on myself. Every year, I think this year will be the worst year for mosquitoes, and this year is definitely going to be that year. Puddles all over the city are a feast for female mosquitoes who need human and animal blood protein for their eggs.
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Leaffooted insects are bad criminals.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
In my garden, the leaf-footed stink bugs are late in appearing this year, but they have eaten my last tomatoes. The heavy rain and damage caused by these sap-sucking bugs has caused tomatoes to explode in my hands when I try to pick them. My go-to method for getting rid of these stink bugs is to squirt them with neem oil mixed with water when I find the larvae (tiny red and black bugs that usually swarm). However, once they reach adulthood, the best way to get rid of them is to physically crush them to death, which many may find irritating. Some gardening references say that soapy water will destroy the stink bug's exoskeleton. They're called stink bugs for a reason, so smacking them is not recommended.
Insecticidal soap is another method of pest control and can be purchased at garden centers or made at home. Various recipes for making your own sprays are available online, but caution is advised for certain plants. You should always research before spraying anything. Also, most sprays, natural or not, should not be used when temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, as they will damage the leaves and young stems. In Houston, it is best to spray in the early morning or at dusk. I sprayed a foxglove stem covered in aphids with neem oil spray, and the next day the entire stem had turned brown, even though the temperature was in the 80s.
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This is a feast for birds and insects.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
My editor told me about a spider web outbreak in the neighborhood, and I told him I didn't know about it because I don't have any spiders in my yard. Then, lo and behold, I took a walk in the backyard and found a bunch of giant spider webs on a mulberry tree. It's creepy at first glance, but it's also interesting. It responds to sound and dances when you clap your hands.
However, most people don't want mosquitoes on their trees. Neem oil sprays work, but like most pest control, even natural ones, widespread spraying can affect beneficial insects and bees. Birds and small mammals also love to eat the webworms that emerge in the fall. These tiny bugs eventually turn into tiny white moths after feeding on the leaves. According to missouricity.gov, these tiny moths are a food source for spiders and bats. There are a few ways to deal with these bugs to prevent further infestation.
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Spraying pesticides can harm other wildlife.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
One method is to destroy the nest with a long rake or stick. You can then crush the worms with your shoed feet, but some people have allergic reactions when the worms come into contact with their skin. Another recommended method is to destroy the nest and then leave it alone for the birds. Robins, blue jays, and mockingbirds have been congregating around the mulberry trees lately, so I've adopted that method. Destroying the nest and dropping the worms to the ground makes it easier for birds to access the worms, as the nest acts as a defense against predators.
We reached out to Cornelius Nursery about additional options, and Michael Carter, a Texas Certified Nursery Professional at Cornelius Nursery, told us, “The easiest way is to use BT insecticide in a ready-to-spray bottle that you connect to a hose and spray on the tree. Alternatively, you can purchase concentrated insecticide and use a hose-end sprayer, but pump sprayers are not recommended as they can reach the upper branches of the tree.” For those who want to take the insecticide route, Cornelius Nursery has a variety of insecticides and a Texas Certified Nursery Professional to assist you.
While fall nettles are more of an unsightly nuisance than a real danger to mature trees, fire ants are a painful and potentially dangerous pest. This year, they seem to be hiding in the grass and in the mounds. My feet are stung by ants, my arms and legs by mosquitoes, and I feel like I have the measles. I hate using poison, but this year granular ant repellent was my only recourse.
Battling bugs and weeds in the summer is no fun, but your garden still needs tending in June. Work in the early morning or evening, stay hydrated, and take care of your health, since summer is still in its early stages.
June Household Checklist:
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Blue salvia and Mexican heather can tolerate the heat, but you will need to remove weeds.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
1. Weed, weed, weed. The more you do this chore, the easier it will be come July.
2. Place mulch around shrubs, flowers and vegetables to retain moisture and keep weeds out. Keep mulch away from the roots and trunks as this can cause rot.
3. Plant a few annuals. Zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, pentas, lantana, and various salvias can be planted in the ground or in pots. There is a high chance of heavy rain this summer, so it is important to water them thoroughly unless heavy rains occur.
4. Plant a pepper plant or two or maybe an eggplant. Many vegetables will begin to wither in the heat, but you can plant okra, melons, and southern peas now. Plant pumpkins and other winter squash this month in time for a fall harvest. Basil loves our heat, as do other herbs like rosemary and oregano.
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Cut out sunflowers and create a Van Gogh-style still life.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
5. To keep your flowers healthy and encourage them to bloom again, remove any spent flowers. Pick the flowers in the morning and enjoy them in your home.
6. Cut off dead or diseased leaves and stems from tomatoes and other vegetables to prevent the spread of disease and keep air circulating.
7. Harvest fruits and vegetables at least every other day, otherwise you will end up with cucumbers that look bad and don't taste very good.
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Gazpacho from the garden is a refreshing treat.
Photo: Loretta Ruggiero
8. Enjoy your fruits and vegetables!
