Hi everyone! I'm a pretty new gardener (my second season) and a renter, trying to reclaim two neglected beds from years of neglect (think a dense hedge of 5ft tall lamb's quarters). Last year I mostly spent weeding and planted a few things with no plan, then I learned all about the joys of clay soil, spent the winter researching, and thought I would have much more luck this year with clay-tolerant species. But I'm having a number of problems and need your help!
A little background: zone 6b, full sun (with a spot of dappled shade due to a large pretty lilac tree), heavy clay soil. The beds were neglected for about 6 years and were overrun with weeds. Only a stunted hosta and a patch of overcrowded irises (that haven't bloomed yet this year) remain from the original garden. I weeded heavily last year. This year weather in the Boston area has been erratic -- April started quite warm so I went out and purchased lots of plants. Then it got VERY cold and rained for several weeks straight. Because I didn't want to compact the soil by working it when wet, I had to very slowly put the plants in whenever I found a dry day and it took me until the beginning of May to get them all in.
The problems:
1) Everything is being eaten! Some plants have chew holes, some plants have skeletonization, some have both. I've been spraying with neem oil but it hasn't made a difference. I've planted bee balm, salvia, columbine, creeping thyme, borage, seedum, creeping phlox, and a honeysuckle. If you can't tell by this collection, I'm trying to establish a bee-friendly garden, so I don't want to use anything stronger (I know neem oil itself can be harmful). What can I do? Interestingly, the columbines have no damage, and the salvia that cam back from last year DOES, but the new salvias I just planted in April don't have any in spite of being right next to the old one.
2) Lots of wilting. I can't tell if I'm over or under watering. The soil is so dense that when I water with a watering can, it beads on the surface and runs off the bed onto the sidewalk. I mixed 50% compost into each hole when planting and top-dressed with compost too. The surface of the soil is nearly always dry, but 2-3" down it's moist. How can I tell what needs more water and what needs less? Can I amend the soil more without digging up what I've planted?
3) To try to control whatever pest is eating the bee balm, an employee at the local garden center suggested pruning off all damaged leaves. I did that which left them really bare and pathetic looking. Now of course there is new damage to the remaining leaves, as well as browning on the leaves. Will it even bloom??
4) My coral honeysuckle looks the worst. I got it specifically because it is supposed to do well in clay (as with all the plants I've put in). First the inner lower leaves started wilting and yellowing with blackish spots. Then chewing damage started appearing. Now the only buds that the plant came with have fallen off. I've been spraying with neem oil once a week since it went in (about three weeks ago). What can I do to help this plant thrive?
5) Although I know irises should be divided in the fall, they have not put up a single bud so I thought I would divide them now so I can also claim that corner for some other plants I'd like to get. When I started to dig up the clump and GIANT nest of earwigs was revealed. Earwigs of all sizes scurrying everywhere. I know they're supposed to be beneficial, but I've also read that when in a large enough population to be infested, they will start eating healthy plants. Should I be concerned? Do I just ignore them? What can I do that won't involve dousing the area in chemicals?
I've got an album with images so you can see what I'm dealing with. ANY help on ANY one of these points would be amazing!
https://imgur.com/a/alH3K
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
the holes and the skeletonized leaves are the same pest -- snails or slugs (which are just snails without the shells). Neem oil does not work against them; it works against insect pests and snails are not insects. You have to know your pest to know how to fight it. The holes are how the damage starts. The more the slug works on the leaf, then it ends up skeletonized, with just the tough veins remaining.
Diatomaceous earth works against them, but has to be re-applied after rain. Sluggo or other similar products work against them. The active ingredient is just iron, which is a nutrient in the garden, but organic purists think there may be inactive ingredients we wouldn't really like.
You can make snail traps, by setting a shallow dish of flat beer into the ground, so that the lip is at ground level. Theoretically, the snails love to come and drown themselves in beer. Another trap is just to lay a board flat on the soil. Leave it for a day or two and then come out in the heat of the day and lift it up. You will likely find your bad guys congregated in its cool, moist shade.
You will never see them in the daytime, but you can come out late at night with a flashlight and tweezers or whatever (your gloved hand if you aren't too squeamish) and pick them off and drop them into a bowl of salt water.
Diatomaceous earth works against them, but has to be re-applied after rain. Sluggo or other similar products work against them. The active ingredient is just iron, which is a nutrient in the garden, but organic purists think there may be inactive ingredients we wouldn't really like.
You can make snail traps, by setting a shallow dish of flat beer into the ground, so that the lip is at ground level. Theoretically, the snails love to come and drown themselves in beer. Another trap is just to lay a board flat on the soil. Leave it for a day or two and then come out in the heat of the day and lift it up. You will likely find your bad guys congregated in its cool, moist shade.
You will never see them in the daytime, but you can come out late at night with a flashlight and tweezers or whatever (your gloved hand if you aren't too squeamish) and pick them off and drop them into a bowl of salt water.
Thanks so much for replying! There are some dried snail shells in the iris patch next to the bee balm.
One question though, if it's snails/slugs wouldn't I see slime trails on the affected plants?
Also, do you think that the bee balm will still bloom this year? Is there anything I can do to help it recover (aside from getting rid of the pests, of course)?
Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!
One question though, if it's snails/slugs wouldn't I see slime trails on the affected plants?
Also, do you think that the bee balm will still bloom this year? Is there anything I can do to help it recover (aside from getting rid of the pests, of course)?
Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!
Slime trails are easier to see on sidewalks than on plants. The holes in the plants that appear overnight is usually the biggest clue. P.S. snails can climb fences, walls ad trees so they can do damage pretty high up. They are particularly fond of lettuce.
You said you planted but how did you prepare your bed besides weeding.
Clay is hard to work and should not be worked wet since it ruins the texture of the soil for a very long time.
Adding compost improves soil tilth. You will need compost and fertilizer.
If the garden was overgrown, I am assuming so were parts of the yard. You need to clean up around the other areas too. Weeds will harbor pests and sickly plants attract unwanted pests. Sluggo works on snails but it needs to be applied every two weeks and you need to cover all the hiding places especially in the existing landscape.
You said you planted but how did you prepare your bed besides weeding.
Clay is hard to work and should not be worked wet since it ruins the texture of the soil for a very long time.
Adding compost improves soil tilth. You will need compost and fertilizer.
If the garden was overgrown, I am assuming so were parts of the yard. You need to clean up around the other areas too. Weeds will harbor pests and sickly plants attract unwanted pests. Sluggo works on snails but it needs to be applied every two weeks and you need to cover all the hiding places especially in the existing landscape.