5 things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit. Increase watering as fruit grows on your trees. Be consistent since a sudden reduction in soil moisture can diminish the size of each fruit. The key is to water deeply but infrequently, making sure soil is soaked to a 12-18 inch depth. A T-handled soil probe is the appropriate device for evaluating soil moisture. Various sizes are available, but a 36-inch probe, priced at around $40, is a widely available size that should be more than sufficient for measuring soil moisture at the appropriate depth.
Vegetables. Make sure to provide trellises for vining crops, namely indeterminate tomatoes, pole beans, and vining cucumbers. Plants typically allowed to trail, such as cantaloupe and honeydew melon, as well as butternut and spaghetti squash, can also be trained to grow vertically, saving garden space in the process. A-frame trellises might be the sturdiest. Grow your sun-loving climbing crops on them and plant your lettuces, which will benefit from hot sun protection, underneath. In the same vein, teepee trellises constructed from three or four bamboo sticks tied together at the top to form a cone are another trellis option to consider.
Herbs. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is a relative of cilantro. However, while cilantro is native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, culantro grows wild from tropical southern Mexico down to South America. It is sometimes called Mexican cilantro due to its popularity in Mexican cuisine. Culantro, whose spiciness is similar to that of cilantro but more intense, is more sensitive to direct sun than cilantro and will grow its best in partial shade. While it is evergreen, it is frost sensitive and may not survive winter unless grown in a container that can be brought indoors at night when frost is forecast.
Flowers. Old Fashioned Climbing petunias flower with a frenzy from spring until fall. Their long trailing shoots make them appropriate for growing up a trellis. When planting petunia seeds, bear in mind that their minuscule size and inability to germinate when light-deprived mean they should be sprinkled over the soil surface and left uncovered, even as they demand constant moisture in order to germinate. To this end, it would be advisable to sprout your petunia seeds in a container where you can more easily satisfy their light and moisture requirements until they have grown large enough to be planted in the garden.
Treating Fungus. With the trend away from toxic chemical control of plant pests and diseases, treatment formulas concocted from benign household products are on the rise. Where fungus problems are concerned, mix two 325 mg uncoated aspirin in a quart of tap water and apply the solution to both sides of leaves with a hand-held sprayer. Another fungicide formula includes one tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of vegetable oil, and one tablespoon of dish soap mixed into one gallon of water. With any plant, regardless of what you are spraying, always treat just a few leaves and wait 24 hours to see the results before spraying the entire plant.