These 4 problems are affecting Kansas gardens and lawns. Learn how to treat them

Summer has officially begun, and you may be wondering how to perk up damaged or struggling plants in your garden or yard.

Here’s advice for four common problems, from the Sedgwick County Extension Center’s Garden Hotline.

Problem 1: Storms

“Plants, trees, shrubs, ornamentals, vegetables – the whole gamut – are affected by the environment,” said Rebecca McMahon, Sedgwick County’s horticultural food crops agent. “The Kansas environment is not necessarily friendly to plants on a regular basis.”

Many samples brought to the center to be diagnosed are plants affected by wind, hail and rain storms.

Do not attempt to mend broken branches or plants, even if they are just partially broken. That includes using duct tape, she said.

“A lot of time folks are tempted to try and tape it or put it back together and hope it heals, but you’re really better off removing broken branches with a clean cut.”

Problem 2: Fungal diseases

Humid conditions can lead to a range of fungal diseases, including brown patch in tall fescue lawns and Septoria and early blight leaf spots on tomato plants.

“The foliage is getting wet,” McMahon said. “(Fungal diseases) are much easier to prevent than to cure. With a lot of these diseases you can prevent further spread, but you can’t cure the part of the plant that is already infected.”

Pay attention to how much you water – and when.

“Don’t water your garden or lawns in the evening so that the foliage stays wet overnight” — that’s “one of the most critical changes you can make,” she said. “Be sure you are not overwatering and that you are doing things to promote good airflow to keep leaves dried out. Water the soil, not the leaves.”

Problem 3: Weeds

Right now, nutsedge and crabgrass are becoming more common.

“The number one advice on weeds is to make sure that you have what you want planted — planted and healthy,” she said, “because it’s going to outcompete the weeds by either shading them out or not allowing them to germinate.

“In a garden area, mulch, mulch, mulch and more mulch. Keep the soil covered so weeds are less likely to germinate and become an issue.”

If you have weeds in your lawn already, McMahon said you can use herbicides. The extension office recommends products containing quinclorac for crabgrass and herbicides containing halosulfuron for nutsedge. If the weeds are in a garden, your best option is hand-pulling or hoeing.

Problem 4: Bagworms

Bagworms hatch throughout early summer and feed on cedar trees.

“We recommend treatment to start in the later part of June when as many of them have hatched out as possible,” McMahon said.

She said insecticides including spinosad and products containing Bacillus thuringiensis are effective if the bagworms are still small.

Effective control for larger bagworms includes products like cyfluthrin (Tempo, Bayer Vegetable and Garden Insect Spray) and permethrin (Nix and Elimite), which are stronger, synthetic and more toxic, she said.

Kaitlyn Alanis: 316-268-6213, @KaitlynAlanis

This story was originally published June 22, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "These 4 problems are affecting Kansas gardens and lawns. Learn how to treat them."