Office Closures in August 2025

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The UConn Home & Garden Education Center will have a brief change in our regular schedule on the following dates in August. Hours on the listed dates will be as follows:

  • August 14: Office closed to the public. We’ll see you at the IPM Seminar!
  • August 29: Closed
  • September 1: Closed, Labor Day Holiday

Our office will run on regularly scheduled business hours on all other business days during the month.

Our red sample cooler will be accessible for drop offs during this time and checked regularly by staff during these disrupted hours.

Please plan your visits accordingly and thank you for your understanding!

Your questions are important to us! Please continue to send your questions to ladybug@uconn.edu or call us and leave a voicemail at 860-486-6271.

Weeds, Strawberries, Butterflies, and Other August News

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August 2025

“A late summer garden has a tranquility found no other time of the year.”

— William F. Longgood

Overwhelmed by Weeds?

A garden bed with bare soil, weeds, and a hand tiller
It doesn't take long for weeds to creep into garden beds! Photo by Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

This season's pattern of lots of rain and lots of heat have made it difficult for gardeners to get out into their gardens, while creating the perfect environment for weeds to thrive!

We've been getting quite a few calls regarding weed management and invasive species control as gardens are booming with unwelcome guests. And while there is no one[size-fits-all approach to weed management, here are the key points to remember: 

  • “Nature abhors a vacuum." Leaving bare soil or undisturbed garden areas will more likely lead to the development of weeds. Instead, keep the soil covered until you intend to plant. Encourage dense plantings of cover crops in vegetable gardens, utilize groundcovers, or consider using mulch of a thickness of 3" or more for walkways and desired plant-free areas.
  • Minimize the seed bank. Keep weeds mowed or cut back before flowers or fruit emerge. Turn the soil, or ensure dense plantings don't allow seeds to germinate by shading out the area or preventing good soil contact. Consider pre-emergents if you have a history of recurrence.
  • Sometimes (not always) weeds can be an indication of soil fertility. Therefore, soil amendments may be more effective than spraying or hand pulling. Get your soil tested to know for sure!
  • If considering garden chemicals, always make sure to identify the weed and use only products that are labeled for that plant. Read the label in full for all information regarding application rates, safety and environmental considerations.
  • Be patient and persistent with management. Total eradication and control may eed multiple seasons before you see results. Keep at it!

Weed Control in Landscapes Non-Chemical Measures

Weeds as Indicators of Soil and Growing Conditions in Turf

CIPWG Invasive Plant List

Renovate Your Strawberry Beds

To promote continuous success of strawberries in your garden, take time this August to perform renovations to your plants. Maintenance such as clipping tall growth, removing weak or dead leaves, and fertilization will help to maximize the productivity of your strawberries in the coming years. Mulching, ensuring adequate water intake, and weeding are also necessary for upkeep of strong plants. These techniques maximize yields and protect against disease prevalence.

End of Season Strawberry Renovation - UConn HGEC

Renovation of Strawberry Plantings - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Where are the butterflies?

Small brown butterfly on a twig
Banded Hairstreak Butterfly. Photo by Pamm Cooper,
UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Are you seeing fewer butterflies in your garden? You're not alone.

New studies have determined that over the past two decades in the continental United States, the populations of hundreds of butterfly species have fallen by 22%. These declines are commonly attributed to pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change. This is concerning because butterflies play important roles in pollination, cycling nutrients, and are a significant food source for other organisms such as birds.

However, conservation biologists have created a roadmap for recovering butterfly populations across the US, and their best chance at recovery starts in your backyard. Actions you can take include providing as much habitat as possible for these animals and keeping these areas pesticide-free.  

As U.S. butterfly populations plummet, scientists map a road to recovery

Study raises the possibility of a country without butterflies

Native Plant: August Flowering Perennials

Bonset, Spotted joe-pye weed, and goldenrod blooming in a meadow
Photo by Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Native spotted Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and certain moisture-loving goldenrods (Solidago spp.) can often be found in dampish soils in open areas. They are often found together in the wild, and all three are attractive to pollinators and butterflies.

These natives bloom at the same time in late July through early September, making them a good addition to a moist garden area that could use some color in late summer. There are many native goldenrods that will do fine in drier soils, as well, making them a versatile plant.

Learn More About Boneset

Learn More About Goldenrods

Learn More About Spotted Joe-pye Weed

The Connecticut Native Perennial, Tree, & Shrub Availability List

Word from the WiSE

Women in Soil Ecology, UConn Student Chapter

Surf the Web on Web Soil Survey!

This month, UConn’s Women in Soil Ecology brings you a word on Web Soil Survey. Are you ever curious about the soil in your yard and wish there was some way you could learn more information about it? You’re in luck, because there is an online web tool that allows you to do just that!

Web Soil Survey is a free online tool that allows you to input an address and select an area of interest to view a soil map and soils data in that area. This information is provided by the National Cooperative Soil Survey, which is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This tool can help you decide what plants to grow based on your soil conditions, as well as aid in other land planning. Web Soil Survey contains a lot of information, but an interesting feature is the soil health data, which can provide descriptions and ratings for key soil health indicators. 

By Nora Doonan, Soil Science Graduate Student

Weather Outlook

A seasoned gardener always keeps their eye to the sky at any time of year! Maps and the 30 day outlook from NOAA will help you stay prepared for any and all of your gardening chores! (Click image to see larger map.)

    Temperature map

Precipitation Outlook

 

In the Garden & Pest Alerts

Tobacco Budworms

Tobacco budworm caterpillars, can be pests of many flowering plants in the tobacco family. Petunias, geraniums, snapdragons and Calibrachoa are just a few of the plants whose buds and flowers can be damaged by this caterpillar.

Check plants that have stopped flowering to see if buds have been eaten or damaged. Check inside flowers for these caterpillars as they have a preference for reproductive flower parts and petals.

Hand- picking them off is the best control method. Most insecticides should not be used on flowers as pollinator may be killed or injured. BtK is normally ineffective.

Tobacco Budworm

Tobacco budworm on pink flower bud

Photo by Pamm Cooper,
UConn Home & Garden Education Center

UConn Pest Alerts

During the growing season, UConn Extension publishes a regular pest alert for both vegetable and fruit producers. Additionally, the New England Vegetable Management Guide offers a lot of information about specific vegetable crops.

While the target audience for these publications is usually commercial growers, home gardeners can learn a lot from these materials including identification and management of common pests in your veggie gardens!

If you ever need confirmation on an ID or have additional questions about what you read in these reports, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the Home & Garden Education Center! We're happy to help your gardens thrive.

UConn Vegetable Pest Alerts

UConn Fruit Pest Messages

New England Vegetable Management Guide

Upcoming Events and Things to Do

      Educational Opportunities & Workshops

            Supplement Your Garden Produce with CT Grown Products! 

            Connecticut is rich in agricultural history, with many operational farms that have lots to offer local markets! 

            Supporting local CT Agriculture is a way that gardeners can supplement the fresh foods they grow in their garden, with seasonal offerings from year round operations.

            Consider attending a local farmers market, joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's), or even stopping by your nearest farm stand to see what they have to offer!  

             

            August Gardening Tips

                • Lawn seeding, whether it's renovation, repair, or spot seeding should take place between August 15th and September 15th
                • Container and hanging plants may need additional water later in the day if hot and windy conditions prevail. Check plants again at day’s end to see if any additional water is necessary
                • Fertilize container plantings and hanging baskets if they look yellow with a ½ strength dose of a balanced liquid fertilizer.
                • Fertilize perennials with a 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 product to encourage continued blooming.
                • Remove old plants that have stopped producing to eliminate a shelter for insects and disease organisms. Replant sites with chard, quick maturing beans or cucumbers, leafy greens etc.
                • Put netting on fruit trees and bushes a few weeks before the fruit begins to ripen to protect it from birds and squirrels
                • Raise your mowing height to 3 inches during hot weather and mulch clippings if possible
                • Even though tomatoes continue to ripen after picking, fruits develop greatest flavor when allowed to ripen on plants. The exception is cherry tomatoes since many varieties are prone to splitting. Pick any almost ripe ones before a heavy rain.
                • Renovate strawberry beds by mowing to a height of 1 ½ inches, thinning plants and side-dressing with a balanced fertilizer
                • To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees for the coming year practice good sanitation by removing and destroying all fallen fruit. Do not compost it.
                • Do not add weeds with mature seed heads to the compost pile. Many weed seeds can remain viable and germinate next year when the compost is used.

                This Month’s Newsletter Contributors: 
                Heather Zidack, Pamm Cooper, Holly McNamara, Emily Leahy, Nora Doonan

                Favorite Summer Plants For Hummingbirds

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                By Pamm Cooper, UConn Home and Garden Education Center  

                Every spring I make a list of the plants that hummingbirds visited the   most the year before, and then my search at garden centers and nurseries begins in earnest. The plants I look for are the ones that not only hummingbirds seem to benefit from the most, but also the ones that bloom the longest. I also select the plants whose flowers I enjoy as well.  

                Although annuals generally have the longest bloom time, there are some perennial ornamentals that are very attractive to hummingbirds and are worth considering for a garden or a landscape. Including a small group of these plants would be a great benefit to hummingbirds as they visit your property.  

                Obedient plants, Physostegia virginiana, can bloom from early June through September. These drought tolerant perennials may get 3 feet tall and some will slowly spread. If that trait is a problem, The ‘Manners’ series such as the white ‘Miss Manners’ obedient plants are not spreaders. The flowers are also attractive to butterflies, especially tiger swallowtails, and pollinators.  

                Native swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is also visited by hummingbirds. This plant likes moister soils than most milkweed, and mine is planted near a birdbath that gets emptied frequently to add fresh water. This milkweed, along with butterfly weed A. tuberosa, can be deadheaded to promote rebloom.  

                Hyssops, Agastache spp., are also a favorite of hummingbirds, and most have a long bloom period, some starting in late spring. The ‘Kudos’ series with small flowers that are yellow, pink or orange are the ones visited the most by hummingbirds on my property. Another favorite is ‘Boa’, which has larger flower spikes lasting a good three months. Deadheading all will prolong bloom time.  

                Annual flowering plants that are a favorite of hummingbirds include Salvias, cardinal climber, Fuschias, Lantanas and Cupheas. All are easy to grow, and all but the cardinal vine can be used in containers, hangers and window boxes.  

                The cardinal climber, Ipomena x multifida, is an attractive, fast-growing annual vine that has small, brilliant red trumpet- like flowers. You can save seeds from this plant and use them next year. One plant can grow to fill a large trellis, and you may need to corral it in if it starts reaching out for nearby plants.  

                Of the Cupheas, the ones most visited, in my experience, are the large firecracker plant, C. vermillionaire, and the smaller one, C. schumannii, also called the orange cigar plant. The former is superior, with a compact, mounding habit and continuous bloom of orange tubular flowers until frost. If the smaller cigar plant is planted directly in the garden, give it some room as it sprawls somewhat.  

                Purple flowers on a dark purple upright stem.
                Black and Blue Salvia. Photo by Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                Annual Salvias like the “Rockin’ series, the ‘Black and Blue’,  ‘Roman Red’ and the ‘Hot Lips’ salvias are the ones I always have in my containers or plant directly in the ground in spaces I leave for them. I would not venture to guess which ones hummingbird prefer, as they visit all of these throughout the day.  

                There are a couple of shrubs that I learned by chance observance are favorites of hummingbirds. These are Weigelas, and butterfly bushes, Buddleia davidii. There are Weigelas that bloom only in the spring, some that bloom in spring and then again later in the summer through fall, like the ‘Sonic Blooms’, and some that bloom throughout the year, like ‘Crimson Kisses’ and ‘ Peach Kisses’. The last two are smaller shrubs which have a rounded habit.  

                The plants I have included in this brief article are only a small example of plants that the average gardener can include on their property in gardens or containers of some type. I will mention that while I do have a hummingbird feeder, the hummers I see are favoring actual flowers over that source of food. Downy woodpeckers and orioles do visit the feeder instead, so it is useful to them, I guess. I may start calling it my downy feeder, at least during the summer. 

                The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations. 

                This article was published in the Hartford Courant July 26, 2025

                Seeing Ghosts in Your Garden?

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                By Emily Leahy, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab

                While meandering around my backyard this past weekend, I spotted a striking plant which I had never seen before. At first instinct, I assumed it was a particularly unique fungal species and snapped a couple pictures. My curiosity having been piqued, I did some research and learned that it was in fact not a fungus, but a parasitic plant reliant on fungus – Monotropa uniflora. Its name is self-descriptive; Monotropa, illustrating the single turn of its shepherd hook shape, and uniflora, depicting the lone flower produced on each stem. It is also known as “Ghost Plant” or “Indian Pipe.”

                Pale white stem and leaf structures of Monotropa uniflora.
                Monotropa uniflora in a shaded area. Photo by Emily Leahy, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab

                Perhaps the most unusual feature of Monotropa uniflora is its color, or lack thereof. While mostly white-colored overall, hues of pink can be visible along with black flecks spread along the plant. The translucent nature of the plant is derived from the absence of chlorophyll, a green pigment and key component allowing autotropic plants to perform photosynthesis.

                Autotrophs are organisms that convert abiotic (non-living) sources of energy, like sunlight, into organic compounds they can use for food production. Most plants have this ability, using the chemical reactions in photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates for their own nourishment. However, Monotropa uniflora, a heterotrophic plant, cannot carry out such processes. They seek the organic compounds needed to sustain themselves from external sources. Autotrophs are often referred to as “producers” and heterotrophs “consumers” to illustrate this distinction. Since Monotropa uniflora is not directly dependent on sunlight for survival, it is often found in shaded areas and forests.

                This all begs the question – where does Monotropa uniflora get its nourishment from? The answer comes in the form of its parasitization of mycorrhizal fungi and surrounding trees. The term “mycorrhizal” is used to describe fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of its host plant. The interaction is mutually beneficial – mycorrhizal fungi receive sugars and carbon from its host, which in turn is aided by the fungus in its absorption of water and nutrients. The root system of the host plant is used as a transportation highway in these interactions.

                Monotropa uniflora inserts itself as a third player in the relationship, disrupting its balance. In a clever sleight of hand, the parasite tricks the mycorrhizal fungi into thinking it is forming another symbiotic relationship as its root system interacts with the fungal mycelium. However, the benefits of this interaction are strictly one-sided as Monotropa siphons the carbohydrates, initially derived from the mycorrhizae’s host trees, for its own consumption. This is not severely detrimental to the fungi or host plants, but it certainly detracts from the vigor of their symbiotic relationship and the amount of available resources transferred between the two entities.

                Monotropa uniflora has a wide range of distribution throughout the U.S., so it is possible to see these fascinating plants in action in a variety of locations. Its flowering season ranges from early summer to early fall and it thrives even after seeds are released.

                A microcosm of ecological phenomena, Monotropa uniflora is quite the unique find. It is enthralling not only to observe, but also to know the complex interactions that occur just below ground. I say we can overlook its parasitic tendencies and appreciate its role in the delicate balance of our natural world – after all, everyone loves a good villain, right?

                Need help identifying something interesting in your garden? We’re here to help! The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.

                This article was published in the Hartford Courant July 19, 2025

                It’s Not Too Late! Plant Now for Fall Harvests

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                By Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                Squash seedling with first true leaves mulched with straw.
                A young squash seedling planted in time for the fall harvest! Photo by Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                Gardeners have had a broad range of experiences with their vegetable gardens this season. Some planted early in May with the warm weather, which was followed by a cold front that meant covering plants, or keeping them in pots longer than you had planned. For others, a pattern of cool, rainy spring weekends delayed planting! Cornell even sent out a reminder to residents to watch for tractors on the roads a little later this season as farmers, too, were scrambling to adjust in upstate New York. Thankfully, there is still plenty of growing season left for us to shift our practices and still have a bountiful harvest from our home gardens.

                There are roughly 100 days left of the growing season until the first predicted frost date, according to the farmers’ almanac. That means you have an opportunity to still plant your dream vegetable garden! Look at the “days to maturity” to determine if planting now makes sense. Many summer crops, like zucchini, cucumbers, and even some types of winter squash have much shorter days to maturity and can be started from seed right in the warm, summer soil.

                Have a type of bean, radish or leafy green you love, but can’t process bushels at a time? Plant every couple of weeks this month for a staggered harvest to enjoy your favorites for an even longer period at a more manageable volume!

                Do you plan to harvest garlic this month? Be ready to follow up with a short-term crop like leafy greens, beets, carrots, or even some types of corn!

                The practice of succession planting gives gardeners a chance to extend the garden season and promotes soil health by keeping your garden beds active. Rotating crops in this fashion reduces the risks of soil erosion, weed overgrowth, and nutrient depletion, when done correctly.

                When setting up a succession or rotation schedule, consider what has been in the bed previously and how those plantings might interact. Determine the nutrient needs of the plants you are considering. You want to be sure you are not planting one heavy feeder right after another as this may mean you need to provide more nutritional support than you planned for. Instead, opt for plants that feed on different nutrients, or better still, plants that help to reintroduce nutrients into the soil.

                Succession planting and crop rotation not only benefit the garden beds that have been put on the back burner as we’ve tried to find time between the rain and temperature swings, but it may also benefit those who have a history of battling with garden pests. Planting later in the season may help prevent or minimize damage from many single generation pests, like the Squash Vine Borer or the Four-Lined Plant Bug.

                Many Cole crops (those in the brassica family) and cool season crops can be started from seed now in preparation for fall planting. However, it may be best to start these indoors instead of directly sowing in the ground. Temperatures over 85 may cause delayed germination or bolting too early once those plants pop out of the soil. Starting them indoors gives you a little more control over the temperature. Otherwise, search for heat tolerant varieties for better results.

                If you want a rest from the care of vegetable gardening and harvesting, consider planting annuals. There are many varieties of marigold, cosmos, zinnia, and some other beautiful cut flower varieties that could happily take up some space and lend their services to some late season table arrangements for you!

                There’s a lot to still do if you want a bountiful fall harvest, and there are a lot of considerations to make when planning what to plant next. Do your research with cooperative extension or land-grant university resources for science-backed information to guide you in your next steps. And remember, we’re here at the Home & Garden Education Center to help you make sense of it all!

                The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.

                This article was published in the Hartford Courant July 12, 2025

                Hyped for Hydrangeas

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                Nick Goltz, DPM, UConn Home & Garden Education Center, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab 

                When I moved to Connecticut in July of 2021, I remember driving through neighborhoods looking for somewhere I might eventually want to live and being struck by the beautifully-landscaped yards that each home seemed to showcase. I particularly remember being impressed by the tidy hedges of hydrangea, filled with lush globes of blue, pink and purple flowers. Can you think of a flower more emblematic of breezy, long summer days by New England coast than the hydrangea? I’ll wait. 

                Hydrangeas are a fascinating group of perennial plants with some unique quirks that make them a fun addition for the home garden. The genus is native to Asia and North America, but the species grown most commonly around the world, Hydrangea macrophylla, is native to Japan and has been bred extensively for hundreds of years, resulting in many cultivars. They are also bred with other species to help select for cold tolerance or inflorescence (flower cluster) shape.  

                Hydrangea macrophylla are commonly known as “bigleaf hydrangea”, but may also be called “lacecap” or “mophead” hydrangea, depending on the shape of the cultivar’s inflorescence. While many species of hydrangeas have white flowers, bigleaf hydrangeas are prized for their beautiful inflorescences that act as a natural pH indicator of the soil the plants grow in. The petals of flowers will change depending on how basic or acidic the soil is. Flowers will be blue, indigo, or deep purple in acidic soils with a pH of 5.5 or less. Plants gown in a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 will have a mix of purple hues. Hydrangeas grown in neutral to basic soils with a pH greater than 6.5 (especially 7 and up) will generally have fuchsia to pink-colored flowers. Many gardeners will amend the soil of their hydrangea beds from year to year to achieve the color that they hope for.  

                Many folks know of the color-changing capabilities of hydrangeas, but keep reading for a few tips on how to properly care for them beyond adjusting soil pH. Hydrangeas prefer moist, well-draining soil and a sheltered spot with partial shade. Some cultivars tolerate full sun well, but must be watered consistently to look their best. Hydrangeas do not grow exceptionally large and are considered “low fire risk”, so are a better choice for planting near the home. 

                A small hydrangea with both purple and pink blooms
                This ‘Summer Crush’ hydrangea near my house will have purple blooms in acidic soils and fuchsia blooms with basic soils. Because both colors are appearing, I’m guessing this soil must have a pH between 5.5 and 6.5!

                There’s a reason why coastal New England towns seem to be filled with hydrangeas while interior towns, particularly for our friends in Vermont, western Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire, have fewer. Bigleaf hydrangeas can tolerate cold temperatures, but only to an extent. Depending on the cultivar, bigleaf hydrangeas grow best from zones 6 to 8. Most cultivars will survive zone 5 winters, but might not flower well without protection – harsh winter temperatures, especially when paired with low snow cover, can kill flower buds.  

                Flower buds form on old growth for most cultivars of bigleaf hydrangea. Because of this, many folks will accidentally prune away flower buds in winter, resulting in poor flower production come summer. For this reason, it’s important to never prune bigleaf hydrangea in fall, winter, or spring. Only prune away the bare stems from the previous year when you see that no new growth is being produced from them, or in summer when collecting flowers for the vase on your kitchen table!  

                 If you find the twiggy winter appearance unsightly and can’t help but prune, if you struggle with deer feeding, or if you live in an area with common late spring frosts, consider planting a “reblooming” bigleaf hydrangea. There are a few cultivars, such as ‘Endless Summer’ and sports, that will produce flower buds on old growth and (usually) a second flush on new growth. Alternatively, you could plant other species of hydrangeas, such as smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), or panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), which tend to be a little more cold-hardy, or oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), if you’re looking for a hydrangea for an area with very hot summers.  

                If you have questions about growing hydrangeas, or any other gardening topic, call the UConn Home & Garden Education Center (toll-free) at (877) 486-6271. You can also email us at ladybug@uconn.edu, visit our website, www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or visit your local UConn Cooperative Extension center.  

                 

                This article was published in the Hartford Courant and The Westerly Sun July 5, 2025

                Succession Planting, Herb Harvesting and Other July News

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                June 2025

                "Flowers are wilting
                My enthusiasm, too
                Only weeds survive."

                — Gaia Garden

                There's Still Plenty of Planting Time

                A garden bed of garlic with half of the plants removed
                Once the garlic is removed from this bed, something new will have to go in! Photo by Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                This year’s wacky weather set our gardens up on what feels like a very strange schedule. Typically, by this point in the season we start to sit back and wait for the tomatoes to ripen, but if you want a garden that stretches into autumn, the work continues!

                As of July 1st, we are 106 days away from the Farmer’s Almanac’s anticipated first Frost Date (Oct. 15th in Storrs, CT). That’s still plenty of time to grow!

                Succession planting helps keep your garden space constantly active through the growing season. It may look like planting a new crop immediately after one has completed its cycle in the garden, or staggered plantings for an extended harvest. We looked at this briefly in our May Newsletter as a way to maximize space. Here's some tips to keep rolling with succession planting this summer:

                • Continue planting bush beans from seed every 2 weeks through the end of July for a bountiful harvest!  
                • Did you harvest your garlic this month? Are your cool season crops past their prime or starting to bolt? Replace them and direct seed new plants!  
                  • Look at days to maturity to ensure there is enough time for the plants to develop before frost hits 
                  • Don’t follow up with the same thing in the same planting space – rotate your crops for better soil and plant health! 
                  • There are varieties of cucumber, squash and zucchini that can still be planted 
                  • Many types of greens and root vegetables like carrot, radish, turnip and beet can be planted in July  
                • Replace vegetable plants that are no longer producing with annuals that have short flowering time for late season beauty 
                • Allow the garden bed to “rest” by planting a cover crop
                • Don’t put away those grow lights just yet! Cool season crops, like brassicas, may need to be started indoors. The summer heat outdoors may inhibit germination or growth. 

                What You Can Plant Mid-July

                Succession Planting

                Fall Vegetable Gardening

                Harvesting Herbs in Your Summer Garden!

                Including herbs in summer gardens is a common practice due to their low-maintenance care and delicious flavors that pair well with many summertime dishes and drinks.

                Herbs should be harvested when the oils responsible for aroma and flavor are at their peak. This harvest time is determined by the growing conditions of each individual plant, rather than a specific month or day.

                Many herbs are most flavorful and ready to harvest just as the flower buds first appear, but before they are fully open. It’s best to harvest them in the late morning, after the dew has dried and before the hot afternoon sun draws out their delicate flavor.  However, some species, like cilantro, may become bitter as the plant starts to flower. Bottom line: know your plants!

                Annual herbs such as basil and parsley can be harvested until frost. Perennial herbs such as oregano, thyme, mint and chives can be clipped until late August.

                For your perennial herbs, stop harvesting about one month before the frost date, because late pruning could encourage tender growth that cannot harden-off before winter. 

                Growing, Harvesting & Drying Herbs

                Harvesting & Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener

                Native Plant: Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

                Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly on pink flowers of the swamp milkweed
                Photo by Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is native to most of the U.S. It's flowers bloom from mid-July to mid-August in the Northeast. A. incarnata is one of many native Milkweeds including A. tuberosa, A. syriaca and others. 

                Look for it in moist habitats such as pond, stream, and river edges or in moist areas of meadows. Pink flowers are highly attractive to butterflies, moths, bees and other pollinators.

                Learn More About Swamp Milkweed

                Common CT Milkweeds

                The Connecticut Native Perennial, Tree, & Shrub Availability List

                Word from the WiSE

                Women in Soil Ecology, UConn Student Chapter

                Sweet Summer Strawberries!

                This month, we bring you a word on a sweet summer berry you can easily grow at home - strawberries! Strawberries can be purchased from three main groups: June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral. For one summer harvest of large berries, gardeners can opt for June-bearing; For two harvests of smaller berries, grab some ever-bearing strawberries. For continuous production all season long, plant day-neutral strawberries. Plant strawberries in the ground in slightly acidic, well-drained soil; Or, if you are space-limited, ever-bearing and day-neutral varieties do well in window boxes that are at least 1ft deep. In fact, planting strawberries in window boxes and keeping them off the ground helps protect them from some pests and diseases which may reduce yields. Enjoy strawberries fresh from the vine, or try your hand at a USDA-approved canning recipe to have strawberry jam year-round. 

                By Abigayle Ward, Soil Science Graduate Student

                Weather Outlook

                A seasoned gardener always keeps their eye to the sky at any time of year! Maps and the 30 day outlook from NOAA will help you stay prepared for any and all of your gardening chores! (Click image to see larger map.)

                    Temperature map

                Precipitation Outlook

                 

                In the Garden & Pest Alerts

                In the Garden: Cabbage Worms, Moths and Loopers, Oh My!

                 

                Start scouting in July for the various types of caterpillars that can damage your brassicas! Along with lots of holes chewed into leaves, caterpillars typically leave waste behind known as "frass."

                Search on the undersides of leaves and inside the center of plants where leaves are tightly condensed. Once you find the pest, identify it properly for the best control methods! Use Bacillus thuringiensis to control them, or incorporate row covers before a problem is observed to keep pests out.

                Caterpillars on Cole Crops

                Stripped cabbage worm on brassica

                Photo by Heather Zidack,
                UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                UConn Pest Alerts

                During the growing season, UConn Extension publishes a regular pest alert for both vegetable and fruit producers. Additionally, the New England Vegetable Management Guide offers a lot of information about specific vegetable crops.

                While the target audience for these publications is usually commercial growers, home gardeners can learn a lot from these materials including identification and management of common pests in your veggie gardens!

                If you ever need confirmation on an ID or have additional questions about what you read in these reports, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the Home & Garden Education Center! We're happy to help your gardens thrive.

                UConn Vegetable Pest Alerts

                UConn Fruit Pest Messages

                New England Vegetable Management Guide

                Knowledge to Grow On

                Upcoming Events and Things to Do

                  Educational Opportunities & Workshops

                    • CT State Parks have multiple events happening this month!

                    Save the Date for the 4th Annual UConn IPM Seminar for the Home Gardener

                    Black and red moth with long antennae on a squash leaf.
                    Squash Vine Borer Moth
                    Photo by Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

                    Thursday, August 14th, 2025
                    9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

                    UConn Research Farm
                    99 Agronomy Road, Storrs, CT 06268

                    Learn basic principles of Integrated Pest Management and techniques to implement in your gardens with a day designed for the home gardener.  Speakers from the UConn IPM team will present on various topics to help you improve the plant and soil health of your gardens, lawns, and landscapes.

                    Learn About the UConn IPM Program

                    Event Details

                     

                    Supplement Your Garden Produce with CT Grown Products! 

                    Connecticut is rich in agricultural history, with many operational farms that have lots to offer local markets! 

                    Supporting local CT Agriculture is a way that gardeners can supplement the fresh foods they grow in their garden, with seasonal offerings from year round operations.

                    Consider attending a local farmers market, joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's), or even stopping by your nearest farm stand to see what they have to offer!  

                     

                    July Gardening Tips

                      • Water early in the morning to reduce the loss of water to evaporation during the hottest days
                      • Container and hanging plants may need additional water later in the day if hot and windy conditions prevail. Check plants again at day’s end to see if any additional water is necessary
                      • Pinching back herbs to stop flowering will keep the best flavor in the leaves and encourage branching. Herbs can be air dried, dried quickly in the microwave, or frozen
                      • Cucumbers are heavy drinkers and feeders. Keep the soil evenly moist during hot spells to avoid bitter fruit and side-dress plants with 1/4 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer or the equivalent in mid-July
                      • Plant cool-season crops such as broccoli, spinach, kale, lettuce, and chard where they will be shaded from the sun
                      • Put netting on fruit trees and bushes a few weeks before the fruit begins to ripen to protect it from birds and squirrels
                      • Raise your mowing height to 3 inches during hot weather and mulch clippings if possible
                      • Fertilize roses for the last time in mid-July
                      • Control mosquitoes by eliminating all sources of stagnant water. Clean bird baths and pet’s outdoor dishes often
                      • Check family members and pets for ticks after being outside, especially when in tall grass or wooded areas. If necessary, send ticks to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory for testing
                      • Leaky garden hoses and fittings can waste water. Check hoses while they are under full pressure and make repairs

                      This Month’s Newsletter Contributors: 
                      Heather Zidack, Pamm Cooper, Holly McNamara, Abigayle Ward

                      Plants Enjoy Summer Too!

                      Posted on by

                      By Dr. Matthew Lisy, UConn Adjunct Faculty 

                      A monstera adansonii with yellowing, curling and damaged leaves
                      This Monstera adansonii, that was sunburned. The damage can take weeks to fully appear, first starting as faint yellowing, then brown dead tissue (photo by M. Lisy).

                      A summer vacation can be beneficial for our houseplants provided that we pay attention to some abiotic (nonliving) factors.  Plants need time to adapt to new growing conditions or they can have deadly consequences.  Try and make the change as gradual as possible.  I usually wait until the end of May, where temperatures are consistently in the 70s for the highs, and no lower than 50s for the lows.   

                      Our plants cannot go from dim, indoor lighting to super bright full sun outside.  Any leaves subject to this will burn and die.  The best way to acclimate plants to life outdoors is to place them in the shade of a large tree for about a week, and then gradually expose them to some direct sunlight.  At first, start with only an hour or two of sun, and then add a bit more the following week until you transition them to full sun.  This is assuming that the plants in question are ones that need full sun.  Cacti and succulents can generally be transitioned to full sun (one notable exception are the forest cacti).   

                      Most of our houseplants are actually forest-floor species or epiphytes (these grow and live on the trunks of other trees).  Either way, those two groups of plants grow in the understory shade of a larger tree in nature, and do well there over the summer.  Some plants I saw recently for sale were called neon philodendron.  These have light green leaves (similar color to neon pothos).  The light was so intense that it bleached the leaves to a pale-yellow color, and some were turning brown.  The plants looked miserable, and the grower said she was going to move them to a shadier location.   

                       I am not sure why we cannot have normal weather, but it seems we have had either too dry or too wet the last five years.  When it rains consistently, it keeps our plants in a constantly moist state, which leads to root rot.  I lost a few really nice philodendrons due to them being too moist in last summer’s constant rain.  The ideal setting would have the plants exposed to good light while under cover.  This way, the gardener can water them appropriately based on the needs of each plant.  If this is not an option, repotting and adding some extra perlite to the mix will help the pot shed the excess water.  Be sure to remove the saucer from the pots and hanging baskets while the plants are outside.  These will hold excess water and keep the plants in a constantly moist state and favor fungal infections.   

                       A pot or hanging basket may only have about a gallon or two of soil at best, and will dry out quickly in the heat.  Depending on your soil type, it may be almost impossible to water enough.  Try to avoid full sun in the hottest part of the day between noon and 2:00 p.m.   

                       In an exposed location, wind can rapidly desiccate, windburn, or break plants. A good friend of mine with a large houseplant collection in the Midwest had almost everything he owned blown over and damaged when a tornado swept through his town last summer.  Although he did not experience a direct hit, the winds were so bad it ruined many of his mature plants.  I told him to look at it like an unintentional propagation event.  When vining plants are grown in hanging baskets, they sometimes start to cling to the branches around them and rip in the wind.   

                      Hopefully this article will help plants enjoy their summer vacation.  It is a great time for plants to grow and be propagated.  Be careful of the extremes of summer, and give the plants a gentle exposure to the outdoors. 

                       The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations. 

                      This article was published in the Hartford Courant and The Westerly Sun June 21, 2025

                      Gardening with the Weather on CRIS Radio

                      Posted on by

                      CRIS Radio: Focal Point 6/16/2025

                      Heather Zidack from the UConn Home & Garden Education Center talks to host, Stephen Thal, about our strange spring weather, gardening outdoors and more!

                      Transcript

                      00:00:01 Stephen Thal 

                      Hi, welcome to another segment on Focal point. This is Stephen Thal and I'll be your host for today's informative program. 

                      Our guest today uh is known to us. She's been on several times in the past year to help us understand more about living plants, whether you have them inside your house, or you put them outside or you're doing gardening and she's also part of the UConn plant science program and they offer many, many services which she'll be explaining sometime during her presentation today. 

                      However, to kick this off. We have to be more cognitive of the weather, the types of weather we're having. Examples include drought, some places there's too much rain, so here to help us straighten it out and get some good plant life going. Is Heather Zidack back from the UConn Plant Science Center. Welcome, Heather. 

                      00:01:00 Heather Zidack 

                      Hi, Steven, thank you for having me. 

                      00:01:03 Stephen Thal 

                      So let's take a look at the weather pattern. Weather patterns have been infected- impacting plants. 

                      00:01:11 Heather Zidack 

                      Yes, it has been a very notable spring this year with the amount of rainfall that we've had. But before I talk about the rainfall, I want to just go back a little bit because we've actually seen effects from last fall in our garden. So what happened at the end of last summer, early fall and into the winter, if you remember, we were actually in a drought through most of the state. 

                      And that lasted through March of this year. And so because a lot of plants went into the winter under drought conditions, we actually saw a combination of the lack of water with the heavy winds from this winter and it caused a lot of moisture to be pulled out of those plants. 

                      We saw a lot of winter kill, so broadleaf evergreens, rhododendrons, mountain laurels, all sorts of shrubs like that, anything needled evergreens as well. A lot of arborvitaes Japanese Hollies, things like that. We saw the-uh They turned brown and then they ended up just kind of dying back. Luckily with a little bit of care, homeowners have been able to bring some of them back and at this point in the season, we're starting to look more towards disease causes, but this was seen all over the state, so we had this drought in the fall. 

                      And then here we are in March and April, seeing the effects of it. So everything that happens is cyclical and we see it happen in the next growing season. And then here we are now with significant rainfall. I think it's rained-What every weekend for quite some time now. 

                      00:02:52 Heather Zidack 

                      And that rainfall in May was enough to pull us out of a moderate drought across the state, except for like one small area in Fairfield County who is abnormally dry, which is the lowest rating that you can have in drought conditions. So that's really good. 

                      The expectation for the next month or so is average. So you want to start to monitor your gardens and make sure that if we're getting an inch to two inches of water a week, we have enough water for our plants, for the most part. If we're seeing less than that, we've got to get out and start checking the soil and get into the habit of  watering so that when we get into the next fall that we have coming, we don't get used to not watering and then seeing plants decline from that. Because I think that was something we saw last year as well as we had a very wet spring and when we got to the fall. 

                      00:03:47 Heather Zidack 

                      Not only did we have a drought from the environment, but a lot of us didn't get trained, we'll say, to go out into our gardens every day or two to check to make sure the water was there, because we just relied on it coming from the sky. So that's been a really huge impact that we've seen over the the last season in our gardens and we're just getting started with growing.  

                      00:04:10 Stephen Thal 

                      Wow, what are some plants that are directly impacted by this? 

                      00:04:15 Heather Zidack 

                      So some of the things that we've seen, like I said, the evergreens were a really big deal. 

                      A lot of stuff that's more shallow rooted is going to see more effect one way or another. It's going to have more signs of stress, but the bigger thing that we're seeing right now out in the garden-Once we've gotten passed into this spring and seen some of the shrub damage is looking at our annuals and what's happened with our annuals is we've looked at the temperatures and we've had some significant cold in comparison to previous springs. So when you have cold weather like we've had what we recommend. Is if it's 50° or more. 

                      It's good to put your annuals, your house plants, your tomatoes, your Peppers, all of that outside. We've had a few weeks. I think it was the week before Memorial Day this year where those temperatures dip below 50 and so we actually saw a lot of people were covering their plants, bringing them inside, making those adjustments. 

                      00:05:19 Heather Zidack 

                      In order to protect their crops, because if they were left outside, although they would survive, they wouldn't necessarily die off. Turn brown and fall over and have to restart. You may notice things like the flowers dropped or they slowed down how they were growing, especially anything in the eggplant, pepper, tomato family once the temperatures get to like 60°, they pause development, so once it gets lower than that they start to get a little bit stressed. On the other side of it, our cole crops and our Greens have loved this weather. I just was out my garden this past weekend and I picked a giant basket of lettuce and spinach and all of that because these cool nights and warm days are really encouraging growth of those crops without sending them into flowering. So it's just something that kind of keep an eye on. 

                      00:06:11 Stephen Thal

                      And uh, what about? Uh, you were talking about leafy lettuce. Uh, how do you take care of those? They're a little tender, aren't they?

                      00:06:20 Heather Zidack 

                      They actually are pretty tough. What's really interesting is that once we usually get into this point in June, July and start getting into the heat of summer, they actually start to get a little bit more difficult to grow because they don't like the heat of the summer. 

                      00:06:36 Heather Zidack 

                      They'll start putting out flowers. They'll start wilting, using a little more water. 

                      So we tend to not see them grow as well in the home garden in the high heat of the summer. You can protect them from that with any shade cloth or putting them in a shadier area because they're not producing anything like fruit or flower. They don't need to have as much of the sunlight as some of your other plants do that also applies to some of your your herbs like your basils and things like that, so they can go in a shadier spot if you have- 

                      00:07:09 Heather Zidack 

                      You know a spot in your garden that maybe is a little too shady for your tomatoes, but it might do OK for your leafy greens, your herbs and things like that. With the weather that we've been seeing too, it's really important to make sure that you're spacing your plants really well this year. You don't want to make them too close to each other, because crowding can often help when it comes to diseases and pests. They love tight, crowded areas, so if you space out your plants really well this year-You're going to help reduce that pressure when we start seeing the hotter temperatures, some of this humidity that we get in the summer and things like that. 

                      00:07:51 Stephen Thal 

                      Now when you're asking when you're working in the garden. Should you be wearing gloves to protect some of the insect bites you get, or some damaging to your hands? 

                      00:08:04 Heather Zidack 

                      Absolutely. I wear gloves when I'm in the garden all the time. I do it for a couple of reasons. I have, you know,  I like to protect my my manicure, right? So I keep my gloves on. But it also is really good. Like you said, if you have got insects in the garden, but like I've seen this Spring because of all the rain that we've had, my garden is actually close to a wetland and we've had a lot of mosquitoes. So I found myself actually going out with not just gloves but long sleeves, long pants and close toed shoes and a hat, just to make sure that I'm protecting myself as best I can from the insects. 

                      00:08:46 Heather Zidack 

                      It's a good thing to do, just to have that extra layer of protection when you're pulling weeds. You never know when you're going to have something that you know might just interact with your skin or something like that. So definitely I wear gloves all the time in the garden and I do recommend it for everybody that's out there. 

                      00:09:05 Stephen Thal

                      And what about? Uh, you had mentioned to me about you shouldn't walk on wet soil. What does that do?

                      00:09:15 Heather Zidack 

                      Yes, so especially this spring with all the rain that we've had and everything, gardens are starting to get a little bit flooded a little bit waterlogged. So the first thing that we recommend is don't walk on the soil when it's wet if you can, especially when it's been really saturated after some of the rain that we've had these past few weeks. 

                      00:09:35 Heather Zidack 

                      What that does is that compacts the soil and it squishes it down and closes a lot of those air pockets that are there between the soil particles. So that makes it harder down the road for water to penetrate and get into the soil and to the roots of your plant. So if you do have either saturated soils or this is good if you're just checking your water needs in the garden, it's a really good thing to get tactile with it and use your hands so. 

                      00:10:04 Heather Zidack 

                      You want to dig down a little bit. You want to grab a little handful, squeeze it in your hand if it. If it's really dusty, really dry. We all know what that feels like. And so that's when your plants are usually gonna need water. If when you squeeze your hand, you've got water running out of your hand, it's gone the other way. And it's definitely saturated. You don't want to walk on it. You don't want to add any water you wanna try to keep your plants where they are so they can dry out a little bit. 

                      00:10:33 Heather Zidack 

                      If it's somewhere in between and it holds a form, but it doesn't have any water coming out of it. That's like that sweet spot where you're like, OK, I have enough water for now. I can come back tomorrow and check. So that's really the best way is to to look and use your hands as you're exploring your garden to make sure that it's well watered. Don't rely on appearance because a lot of times some of these garden products that we have can look wet or look dark compared to what the soil is and so it can be a little deceiving. So you want to always make sure you're checking with your hands instead of using your eyes to take a look. 

                      00:11:13 Stephen Thal 

                      OK, how about, uh, some of the insects like squash bugs and so on. Uh, are they helpful to the garden or harmful? 

                      00:11:23 Heather Zidack 

                      They are opposite, they are harmful to the garden, so they are coming. Squash bugs usually start coming out-Wanna say end of June, early July, there's squash bugs, there's squash borers, there's things like that. And with those, if you're growing squash plants, you wanna try to remove them as early as possible. 

                      00:11:44 Heather Zidack 

                      They are something the squash vine borer I'll start with is one that lives in the soil. Once that hatches, it crawls out and chews into the stem and the larvae lives in the stem. So if you see a squash plant that's wilting and doesn't look so hot, if you trace it back to the stem in the ground, you might notice it almost looks like...um..It's it's not, but it almost looks like wood shavings. You'll see where it like burrowed into the stem if you cut that stem open, you'll probably find some kind of Caterpillar in there and they move quick. They move like a foot a day, so that's one to watch out for. 

                      00:12:22 Heather Zidack 

                      The squash bugs are a little less dramatic, but you'll notice they're eggs on the underside of leaves, and what I recommend for people who are dealing with squash bugs to do is remove them by hand, take a piece of duct tape, wrap it around your hand backwards, and just stick your hands to the leaf. It's enough to pull those eggs off without having to use any chemicals or pulling the leaves off the plant. It's a really effective method. 

                      00:12:47 Heather Zidack 

                      If you want to go a step further and you're out in the garden and you're deciding to plant your squash, it's mid-June so you could maybe plant this weekend if you're doing that, you could put netting onto your plants. As long as it's not the same place it was last year and that will help the adults from flying in and getting onto your plants in the 1st place. So that's a really good thing to. 

                      00:13:12 Heather Zidack 

                      You there's other bugs out there as well. In the summer, there's a lot of insects. If you've had a garden, you know there's a lot of bugs out there. Usually you can't tell by just the damage left. You need to find an insect that it's in action to treat your plants. 

                      00:13:28 Heather Zidack 

                      Because what we recommend doing is, it's called integrated pest management, or IPM. They have-in using that method, you're using your targeted approach to get rid of a specific insect that you have identified using specific methods. That way we're not overusing any products in our garden. We're not going and over exerting ourselves to take care of the issue. It's a smart approach and a targeted approach to whatever your garden problems are. 

                      00:13:56 Heather Zidack 

                      With that being said, this is a little personal plug here for the Home and Garden Education Center, but we will be hosting a home gardener seminar for integrated pest Management in August, so it's a multi speaker event. We have tips to manage pest disease, and other things in your garden and that's going to be coming up in August. If you'd like to get information about that, you're welcome to either call or e-mail us and we can put you on the list to let you know when that releases. But it's something that helps make that targeted approach. Couple of other insects that are out there right now are things like the four lined plant bug that does a whole lot of damage. It's damage, looks like like little brown spots all over leaves. I've seen them on basil. Specifically, they have a bunch of hosts, but I know they love my basil at home. 

                      00:14:50 Heather Zidack 

                      There's this spittle bug which has little foamy...Nests will say they're not really nests, but they're little foamy structures that they put around the center of a stem. When they're there, they're a short-lived insect that just kind of does its thing and dives out in the environment, and we don't even need to treat it. There's aphids. There's all sorts of things, so that's when learning what you're looking at can guide how you're treating it so that you're not using as many products in the garden. 

                      00:15:19 Stephen Thal 

                      Huh. What are my mosquitoes? How do you deal with mosquitoes? 

                      00:15:24 Heather Zidack 

                      Mosquitoes are different, but very interesting in the garden, so they're definitely out. Like I said, I am near a wetland, and so I'm definitely experiencing them out in the garden frequently at this point. Best thing to do when you're dealing with mosquitoes in your yard is if you are out. 

                      00:15:44 Heather Zidack 

                      They come out at dawn and dusk, so being outdoors at those times, you want to wear bug spray, especially like when that's when they're most active. 

                      00:15:52 Heather Zidack 

                      If some people do wear bug spray throughout the day because in areas that are bad, they're always out there. So it really depends on what your yard is like. After rain, you can dump out any containers they've caught water because what they do is they lay their eggs and their larvae actually live in water before they go into the air. So you want to make sure that the air-that the water is dumped. You want to empty any of your bird baths and rinse them regularly for the same reason. 

                      00:16:24 Heather Zidack 

                      And one thing that's really interesting with mosquitoes is we see a lot of mosquito repellent plants that are sold and advertised to us and this is a big thing for a lot of people. One thing that I warn people about with this is that their job as a mosquito repellent plant is to keep the mosquitoes away from the plant itself. 

                      00:16:46 Heather Zidack 

                      So it's an immediate proximity. 

                      00:16:49 Heather Zidack 

                      What we do is we tend to harvest the oil from these plants and put them into repellent products. So like the citronella plant for example, or lemongrass or things like that, we extract those oils and then use them in our insect repellents. It's not necessarily going to protect you if you have a pot of lemongrass on your patio because it doesn't have an 8 to 10 foot range. It only has a few inches around that plant that really has that repelling effect, so. 

                      00:17:21 Heather Zidack 

                      That's how that works. They're great to have, but also just to keep in mind, with that, we never recommend crushing or rubbing any kind of plants on your skin without first consulting with a doctor or an allergist just to make sure that you're safe and you're doing what's best for your health. 

                      00:17:39 Stephen Thal 

                      This is Stephen Thal with another segment on Focal point and we're interviewing Heather Zidack from UConn Plant and Science Department up in Storrs. 

                      00:17:49 Stephen Thal 

                      And she's been leading us through the different weather patterns and also how some of the plants are impacted. And we also were talking about some of the oils that plants develop and how effective they may be in various stages. 

                      00:18:06 Stephen Thal 

                      It's very interesting and I think something else we got to take care of here is how do we, what kind of soil do we use and what kind of fertilizers we use, right, Heather? 

                      00:18:17 Heather Zidack 

                      Yeah. So soils are really important because that's the foundation of your garden. That's really where the not just your plants are taking root and and having their structural support, but also that's where the plants are gonna pull everything from nutrition, water and everything that they need. So whenever you have a garden, we always recommend calling our the soil Nutrient Analysis lab, either the one at UConn or the experiment station to have your soil tested. We recommend testing every two to three years and what they do is they look at the nutritional value of your soil. They don't look for anything else, but they will tell you what the nutrient levels are. 

                      00:19:00 Heather Zidack 

                      Are and I know with the UConn Labs specifically, what they look at is are specific values and how it would relate to your garden. So if you fill out a report that says I'm looking to grow vegetables, they'll kind of help you figure out what amendments you need to make for your garden to grow those vegetables. I can't speak. For what the experiment station does, but they are available as a resource for the public as well. And sometimes it just comes down to who's closer to you and how do you want to move forward and what information you want to get? 

                      00:19:35 Heather Zidack 

                      So that's really important. Get your labs and get your soil tested and figure out what your nutritional values are. Really important for, especially vegetable gardens, where nutrients are are kind of going through the systems a lot quicker than in established beds. 

                      00:19:55 Heather Zidack 

                      A lot of trees and shrubs and perennials that are established may not need fertilizer every year. They might need it every other year. It really depends on the species. There are some native species that rarely need fertilizer at all, so know what plant you have and then we can look into it a little further. 

                      00:20:14 Heather Zidack 

                      But like I said, those vegetables tend to have high demand and need more support because they're producing food for us. So what you want to look at are big three, our nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium or we say NPK. Your nitrogen is responsible for growing really lush leaves. Your phosphorus is really good for things like flower, fruit, a lot of your bloom booster fertilizers tend to be high in phosphorus, and your potassium is good for root growth, drought resistance, it helps to reduce some water loss, and they're still researching a lot of these things. 

                      00:20:51 Heather Zidack 

                      But what you look at when you're buying a fertilizer for your garden is you look for there's three numbers on the bag a lot of times it's and it's a lot of times in increments of 5 but not always. So like a 5-5-5, 10-10-10, something like that. These are percentages by weight of those nutrients in the bag. And they go in the order of nitrogen and then phosphorus, and then potassium. So sometimes they can be comparable to each other when you're working with a product because they're balanced in ratio. It really depends on what you need to apply. 

                      00:21:25 Heather Zidack 

                      A lot of the tone products that we see and weekly fertilizer products are much lower concentrations. So I've seen some fertilizers out there that are like 3-4-3, very low, but just a little bit of food to keep them going because if you're over applying, you can actually cause damage by providing too much fertilizer. 

                      That's another reason going back to that soil test can be really important. 

                      00:21:50 Heather Zidack 

                      You always want to check the back of the bag. There is usually going to be not just those big three nutrients that we need, but also a lot of micronutrients as well, and that will vary in your soil as well. And when you get a soil report, you get all of that information. 

                      00:22:08 Heather Zidack 

                      Another really important thing is to stop fertilizing in August or September because-What we want to avoid is pushing any tender growth before frost, so if we start backing off in August and September, especially with some of these slow release fertilizers, we're not gonna continue feeding the plant and encouraging it to put out tender young leaves that then get bit by frost. 

                      I think that's pretty much most of the soil rundown, a crash course. 

                      00:22:38 Stephen Thal 

                      Yeah, that's important. Thank you. 

                      00:22:40 Heather Zidack 

                      Would you like the number for the soil lab? 

                      00:22:43 Stephen Thal 

                      Oh, definitely. 

                      00:22:45 Heather Zidack 

                      All right, so this is for the UConn Soil Analysis Lab and it's 860-486-4274. Again 860-486-4274. 

                      00:23:01 Stephen Thal 

                      Great. Now after all of this, what else should we do to keep the gardens going? 

                      00:23:09 Heather Zidack 

                      So there's a lot of things that you can do right now. In June you want to be cutting back your perennials for sure that anything that has already flowered for your perennials you want to try to cut back. If you cut back some of these early flowering perennials at this point in the year, it may encourage them to push out new flowers. This happens very frequently in things like Salvia and Nepeta, which is known as Catmint as well. So if you cut back things that have already bloomed. 

                      00:23:43 Heather Zidack 

                      It will help encourage new growth and new flowers where you potentially. A lot of plants are in production mode right now. So they're producing fruit or flour for you. So water is going to be incredibly important. I went through all of the details with you before of like how to check your soil, but make sure that you can be checking your soil to see if there's enough moisture in there. 

                      00:24:05 Heather Zidack 

                      We don't recommend watering in the evening if you can avoid it. Early morning is going to be best because you're going to saturate that soil. And then it has the day to dry out instead of saturating at night, getting dark and cool. And then that's when there's a lot of rotten things that can happen. 

                      00:24:23 Heather Zidack 

                      You also want to avoid water on your leaves. You want to add water to the soil because if you have any droplets on the leaves, it can actually burn the plants a little bit. Believe it or not, plants can get sunburn, so you want to be careful. 

                      00:24:37 Heather Zidack 

                      It's also a good time to prune spring flowering shrubs immediately once the flowers are gone, so a lot of shrubs out there are like, again, I go back to rhododendrons, lilacs, things like that. They're gonna start to set their buds in this summer or during the fall. So if you prune too late, if you prune in the fall, when you're doing all your other cleanup chores or you prune over the winter like you do with your summer blooming shrubs. You could lose your seed-your 

                      00:25:05 Heather Zidack 

                      Lose your flowers. The next thing is that you can still plant from seed right now, so there's a lot of things out there that you can do. Radishes, beans, squash, carrots are all pretty quick to come up, so you could put those in the garden. Just check the back of the seed packet to see how many days till maturity we have and if it falls within, you know from here too. Let's say October, you've probably got a good shot in getting a crop. I know radish is an example only goes about 21 days in between seed to days to harvest. So that's really cool. I've even planted sunflowers in July after I've harvested. 

                      00:25:45 Heather Zidack 

                      My garlic needed to throw something in the bag, so there's a lot of really good plants out there that you can still plant in June. It does. It's not too late. 

                      00:25:54 Stephen Thal 

                      That's great. 

                      00:25:55 Stephen Thal 

                      We have about 6 minutes left. Anything you'd like to cover in the last 6 minutes? 

                      00:26:02 Heather Zidack 

                      Yeah. 

                      00:26:03 Heather Zidack 

                      Couple of really important things too. Looking at your house plants, so if you grow house plants and you want to put them outside, I think we finally hit that point where they can go out on the patio and be pretty comfortable for the rest of the summer. 

                      00:26:18 Heather Zidack 

                      Temps have stabilized for tropical and exotic plants that usually thrive indoors. So like I said, we look for that 50° at night and we're definitely there. It took a while, but we got there. If they haven't been outside yet and you're just putting them out soon, you want to start slow. 

                      00:26:36 Heather Zidack 

                      If you put them in a sheltered, shaded kind of outdoor space for a few days before you move them to full sun into the high heat of the day. So you wanna make sure that they have a couple of steps to take in between going from inside your office, let's say, from out to your patio. So that's something really important that you want to make sure that you're doing. The other thing that's really, really important, and I emphasize this with all gardeners at this point in the season is get yourself into the habit of making observations you really want to go out into your garden and take a look at the leaves. Take a look at the undersides of the leaves. 

                      00:27:16 Heather Zidack 

                      Take pictures. This is a great way to monitor so that if something does look a little different or disease develops or insects start showing up, you know early enough to do something. 

                      00:27:29 Heather Zidack 

                      I see a lot of times gardeners necessarily don't see what's happening in their garden, and then we hit a point where we're overwhelmed with disease or pest or weeds, even because of all the rain we've had. So if you can go out and get yourself in the habit of just looking at your plants, seeing what the leaves actually look like. Seeing what's normal and what's not normal. 

                      00:27:52 Heather Zidack 

                      That's really important to do so that when something abnormal happens, you're right on top of it and you can do something to save your plants instead of losing your fruit or your tomatoes or whatever the case may be. 

                      00:28:05 Heather Zidack 

                      If you do notice anything, it's really important to know that our office is here to help you with the UConn Home and Garden Education Center. We can always look at photos via e-mail. That e-mail is ladybug@uconn.edu again, ladybug @uconn.edu. Or you could call us at any time. Our number is 860-486-6271 again 860-486-6271 and we can help with plant disease as well as insects and environmental things that just look weird in the garden. We can help get you pointed in the right direction so. 

                      00:28:49 Heather Zidack 

                      That's definitely something that I I remind everybody is just be observant, be out in your garden, you know, be present with what you're doing. If you're out there watering, don't just go looking around at everything else around you go get the plants that you're watering and see what's going on. 

                      00:29:05 Stephen Thal 

                      Ah, that's great. 

                      00:29:07 Stephen Thal 

                      So we have to hope this is good information for our listeners and we have the phone numbers and we'll have them have you give it to them one more time. 

                      00:29:18 Heather Zidack 

                      So give you a couple of phone numbers, so I'm with the UConn Home and Garden Education Center. Again, my number here is 860-486-6271One again 860-486-6271. There's also the soil lab that I had mentioned earlier. Their number is 860-486-4274, again 860-486-4274. Between our two offices, we can definitely help gardeners get a handle on what they need to know. 

                      00:29:55 Stephen Thal

                      Well, we thank you for coming into focal point. We always appreciate the invaluable information to help our listeners enjoy their garden, not only a garden if they're doing or house plants or combination thereof.

                      00:30:13 Stephen Thal 

                      This is Stephen Thal with another segment on Focal Point. 

                      00:30:13 Heather Zidack 

                      Thanks for having me. 

                      00:30:17 Stephen Thal 

                      We hope you enjoyed today's program. 

                      00:30:20 Stephen Thal 

                      Two quick items for you. Please wear sunglasses and a hat when you're outside with the bright sun, and also to do a emergency plan for your home or for your business or whatever. And practice it very important to involve the people in case there is an emergency. People. Everybody knows what to do and that's the key piece. 

                      00:30:47 Stephen Thal 

                      So again, enjoy the Summer. 

                      00:30:50 Stephen Thal 

                      Stay safe and stay healthy, Steven Thal saying thanks to our guest speaker, Heather and all of our listeners that tuned in today. 

                       

                      Put an End to Blossom-End Rot: Water and Nutrient Management is Key

                      Posted on by

                      By Nora Doonan, UConn Soil Science Graduate Student, Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

                      5 ripe tomatoes
                      Photo by Julie-Ann Adorno, Soil Science Graduate Student, UConn Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

                      It can be frustrating to put time and energy into growing tomatoes, only to find that your tomatoes have developed blossom-end rot. Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder that commonly affects tomato plants, characterized by a black, sunken spot on the fruit. This disorder is caused by insufficient calcium as a result of nutrient and water management challenges. Blossom-end rot can also affect peppers, eggplants, squash, and watermelons. In tomatoes, it is commonly seen on larger and elongated varieties, which can have a greater demand for calcium. Calcium is an essential plant nutrient that is required for proper growth, especially for the development of cell walls in the tomato fruit. When a fruiting tomato plant experiences calcium deficiency, the cell wall can collapse and show the appearance of blossom-end rot. Soil tests can reveal if your soil has sufficient levels of calcium and can determine if your soil pH is optimal for nutrient availability.  

                      Oftentimes, the soil is sufficient in calcium levels, but blossom-end rot still occurs. Blossom-end rot can be closely associated with soil moisture that is too wet or too dry. The soil should never dry out completely. It is important to water regularly to ensure that plants receive 1 to 2 inches of water a week. A cycle of dryness followed by overwatering is only promoting calcium deficiency in the plant. If soil is too saturated, there may be insufficient oxygen levels in the soil that can affect the roots’ ability to take up water and nutrients.  

                      One method of maintaining optimal soil moisture is to mulch tomato plants with an organic mulch, such as wood chips or straw, after the soil has warmed up. This will help to prevent excessive evaporation and drying of the soil. Another method is to plant tomatoes in a mound of soil that is high in organic matter or compost. Organic matter can retain soil moisture and provide adequate drainage.  

                      There are other factors that can affect calcium uptake by the plant, such as high concentrations of ammonium, potassium, and magnesium in the soil. This can be caused by over fertilization. Specifically, over fertilizing with nitrogen can promote excessive production of leaves in the tomato plant, which can preferentially distribute calcium to the leaves rather than the fruit.  

                      Calcium movement in the plant is dependent on transpiration, which is the loss of water to the atmosphere from plant leaves, stems, and flowers. Calcium is taken up through the roots and relies on water flow through the xylem for transport through the plant. This movement of water through the xylem is driven by the process of transpiration. Calcium is not redistributed from the leaves to the fruit. In addition, the overfertilization of ammonium, potassium, and magnesium can allow for competition in root uptake of calcium because they are all positive cations. Damages to roots, caused by fertilizer burns or cultivation, can also be a factor in impairing nutrient and water uptake. To prevent blossom-end rot through fertilization practices, apply fertilizer as recommended by a soil test and apply nitrogen fertilizers in the form of nitrate, rather than ammonium.   

                      Any affected fruits can be removed from the plant, as they will continue to drain moisture and calcium for development from other fruits. A foliar application of calcium can be made to the leaves when the fruit is young, but it is not the most effective method, since calcium in the leaves is relatively immobile. The goal is to prevent the need for foliar application through water and nutrient management across the tomato plant growth stages. Hopefully these methods will allow you to prevent blossom-end rot starting at beginning stages of growth, so that you can enjoy a bounty of beautiful, red tomatoes.  

                      The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations. 

                      This article was published in the Hartford Courant June 14, 2025