After flood care for your plants

Last month’s heavy rainfall brought unexpected flooding. Numerous people went to bed on December 22, 2016 and awakened on December 23, 2016 to the rising water around them, only to find out that some of the pumps were not working and the high tide did not help the situation either.

Although the water on some roadways drained off by the next day, it took almost one week for the water in people’s yards to drain off.

Ornamentals, flowering plants, vegetables and fruit trees suffered from water logging with their leaves turning yellow and vegetables and fruits getting soft and black. In situations like this please lift your plants to higher ground or place them on concrete stands or blocks.

It is advisable to start planting vegetables in planters or in boxes off the ground. After the water goes down, you would need to wash down your concrete yard and around the pots. Check plants carefully and remove all yellow leaves. You may need to trim back some.

Look out for fungus on rose plants also, because with rain comes fungus. You may need to spray the plants with a fungicide.

Following flooding, you may need to boost your plants with some Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food once every two weeks.

Lawns also are badly affected, so make sure that you have proper drainage around your lawn.  More on lawns next week.

Until then, Happy Gardening.