With Mother Nature calling the weather you never know what challenges you may face in your garden from day to day. So my motto is, always be prepared.
photo credit: chad davis

One of the worse challenges for your garden is hail.

In my area we don’t have many hailstorms and they only last a few seconds. But a few seconds in a newly planted garden or hail falling on delicate plants can be disastrous!

If you have heard there is a chance of hail and you see that ominous yellow sky you may want to cover some of your more delicate plants. I usually keep larger clay pots near the garden so that I can cover up plants quickly.
photo credit: bestfor

For larger plants you may want to use metal pails. I even covered a large tomato plants with a 55-gallon garbage can one time. We did have a hailstorm and the tomato plant was fine.

And if you use trellises or plants where plants can climb covering the trellis with a tarp or leaning boards up against the trellis will protect your plants. I usually have attached hooks to my trellised so that I can attack wood pieces to the trellis to make a quick tent if I need to protect the plants from hail or cold weather.

My one relative that lived in an area more prone to hail built flexible row covers to use during the summer season when hails storms seemed to occur. They were light enough he could move them into place in a matter of minutes and cover with a heavy plastic to protect his garden areas.

I think of all garden challenges you can have, hail is one of the worst. You never know when a storm will happen, how long it will last or how much damage it will create.
photo credit: quinn.anya

So be prepared. Have tarps, covers or pots nearby and listen to the news and watch for that ominous yellow sky.

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Shamrock plants are beautiful delicate plants that are a favorite of many people.

photo credit: audreyjm529 Overall, if given a rest period during the year and watered and fertilized properly the Shamrock will live for many years. If you notice your plant looks a little weak or seems to be suffering there are two plant diseases that affect the shamrock plant.

Shamrock Plant Disease

Fungal Rust can be diagnosed when you notice an obvious orange color on the underside of the leaves. Treatment: I remove the plant from the pot and clean the pot thoroughly. If you feel the plant needs repotted this it the time to do so.

Before placing the plant back in its pot wash the plant carefully with a mix of neem oil. Neem oil is not one of the toxic chemicals that many people use so I feel its safe to use and its good for several other forms of plant diseases too.

After placing the plant back in the pot remove the top layer of soil and replace with fresh soil. Water the plant lightly with a chamomile tea mix. If your plant has really suffered you may want to take extra measures. This site has information on common plant disease

Spider Mites are a common problem on the shamrock plant.  These insect parasites are small mites that are almost not visible. They produce a little white webbing that is sticky. They seem to choose to hide and live under leaves and in the joints of stems.

You need to remedy the problem as quickly as possible or they will spread. A spider mite sucks the juice out of the plant and weakens it. If left untreated the plant will slowly die.

If you suspect mites, there are two treatments.  A home remedy of water a few drops of dish soap and a touch of garlic will stop the mites. If the mites are quite large touching them with Sea Breeze that is placed on a Q-tip will kill the bug.

You can treat the plant with Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insecticide.  Mix this product with water as directed and pour on the soil around the base of the plant.  It will kill the bugs within a week or so.  The plus to this product is that it provides protection from reinfestation for up to a year.

Note: Make sure you remove any old or infected soil from the top of the pot.

For more information on this plant check Shamrock Plant Care and The Shamrock Plant

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Watering Plants

photo credit: daitaWatering a garden or plants seems like it should be quite easy. But watering too much or too little can harm your plants, and some of the damage  may be irreversible.

Watering tips

The best time for watering is in the morning before heat and evaporation take their toll.  Grass clippings and mulch spread on the soil help to prevent the water from evaporating and let it soak into the soil.

Watering in the evening after 5 p.m. when the heat of the day so cooling will also work for most plants.

But if you plan to water in the evening, make sure you give the plants and soil enough time to dry before dew forms in the night. If you water too late at night you will have a tendency to attract slugs and other non-beneficial insects and disease into your garden.

Water the soil in your garden completely once a week. This means there must be enough water to soak down through the soil and get to the roots of the plants where it is needed.

Note: A few minutes of surface watering only encourages weak and shallow roots.

New plants need to be watered daily for several weeks to root growth. This is especially true for shrubs and trees.  Once your plants are established, be careful not to over-water them. Too much water will take air out of the soil and the plants will suffer or die from lack of air.
photo credit: Gnosticgardener

How to Water your Plants

Generally, plants should be watered at the base of the plant. Water the area long enough for the water to be able to soak into the soil.  You can check how deep the moisture is going into the ground with you finger. You want at least an inch of moisture; 3 inches would be better.

A light misting of the leaves occasionally can be beneficial, especially for houseplants.  But too much water on the leaves can promote fungal blights. And during the hottest hour of the day leaves outdoor plants can actually suffer from phototoxicity (burning of the leaves).

I like to water with a dipper and water each plant individually with water from a rain barrel. The water is warm and not as cold as from a sprinkler. Cold water can shock plants and set back plant growth and production.

But all people don’t have time to hand water and a sprinkler or irrigation-type hose is a much easier and faster. Just make sure to water the area long enough to get the moisture down to the plants roots.

And last but not least, different plants take more or less water. Check in gardening books and online to learn plants water needs and group plants in certain areas according to their needs.

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