We’ve had too much rain lately. It almost hurts to say that, because one of my favorite things to do is sit on my covered patio and watch the rain fall, nurturing and revitalizing my garden plants in a way that water from the hose simply can’t match. And it hurts because we all know that I’ll likely be writing about drought conditions in a few weeks or so. 

But it’s true, and the meteorological record books prove it. Excessive rains have created real problems in area gardens ranging from minor annoyances to serious plant health issues. Not all of them are easily resolved, but most are manageable.

Working the soil when it’s wet is one of the absolute worst things you can do in the garden. Maybe THE worst. And the negative effects can last for years. It destroys the soil’s natural structure, and once the soil dries, you’re often left with huge, hard clumps. The very act of walking on wet soil can cause long-lasting damage, because it leads to compaction, one of the worst enemies of plant roots.

The best way to determine when the soil is safe to work is decidedly low tech, but effective. Just take a handful of soil in your hands, roll it into a ball, and gently squeeze it. If the ball falls apart, you’re good to go; if not, wait another day or so and test it again. But whatever you do, don’t try to plant anything in wet soil (unless you’re into growing rice).

Waterlogged soils make it difficult -- and in some cases, impossible -- for plant roots to take up oxygen, which results in everything from yellowing leaves (on everything from cherry tomatoes to cherry trees) to poor growth to plant death. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to remedy the situation other than pulling back any mulch around the plant to facilitate drying or punching holes in the soil with a garden fork (or even a long screwdriver).

But you can deal with another issue, namely the fact that frequent rains result in nutrients being leached out of the soil. So once things dry out a bit, you should seriously consider applying fresh fertilizer, because what you may have applied earlier in the season is likely long gone.

One of the most frustrating things about frequent rains is finding time to mow between downbursts. But there’s no getting around the fact that mowing wet grass is a bad idea. Wet grass blades don’t cut cleanly, which can lead to disease issues. Wet grass clumps as it’s cut, and it’s heavy; both issues can actually lead to smothering of the grass. Wet grass also sticks to the underside of the mower deck, potentially causing the engine to overheat. And cutting the grass while the ground is wet can lead to unsightly wheel ruts that are tough to get rid of.

Fungal diseases are finicky. Some prefer cold temps and wet weather, others prefer warm temps and wet weather, and a few prefer dry conditions. But the vast majority of fungi that infect plants have one thing in common -- they thrive in moist environments. So be on the lookout for abnormalities, particularly on leaf surfaces, such as a white, powdery substance, brown, black, yellow, or rust spots, or any unusual discoloration, and be prepared to act quickly if symptoms appear by taking a closeup picture of the symptoms and bringing it into the folks in our Solution Center for help in selecting the proper fungicide.

Speaking of fungi, mushrooms have been popping up in lawns all over town, especially where trees were removed as a result of severe damage from the 2023 Father’s Day storms. But there’s no need to panic, because although some folks find them unsightly (or in my case, fascinating), they don’t pose a threat. They -- or more correctly their vast underground network of mycelium -- are simply doing what nature intended them to do, namely decomposing all those tree roots below ground.

Okay, I know this sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. When rain splashes soil onto leaf surfaces, you should use a gentle spray from the hose or a watering can to remove it. That’s because the soil may contain fungal spores, and it may actually inhibit photosynthesis as well. And btw, mulch (applied after the soil dries a bit) will go a long way in preventing soil from splashing on leaf surfaces in the first place.

Lots of garden pests reproduce faster in wet and warm conditions, and rains in particular can drive many outdoor pests indoors, so the battle against bugs occurs on two fronts. So make sure you’ve got pesticides on hand, including Bt for caterpillars (and a separate species of Bt for mosquitoes), Neem for aphids, spider mites, flea beetles, and more, and Spinosad for the broadest control of garden pests.

Last week I wrote that I’d be focusing on shade gardening this week, but I reconsidered given the rains. But given that sunnier skies are on the way (hurray!) I'll get back on track next week.