- Use fungicide to treat the fungus.
- Don't water your beans from above.
- Water in the morning to allow leaves time to dry.
- Thin plants to allow more air circulation.
Q: Last year several of my corn plants produced ears that were only partially filled with kernels. The plants appeared healthy. What did I do wrong?
A: You may not have done anything wrong, but it sounds to me like Mother Nature didn't help you out a lot. There may be something you can do to assist the process in the future.
Corn pollen must fall on silk strands; then each strand produces a kernel. Incomplete pollination can be caused by poor wind circulation, which fails to move the pollen correctly. You can correct this by planting corn in multiple shorter rows rather than in one long row.
Poor watering can be another cause: the crop is dry for a while, then wet for a while. Remember to keep the soil moist, but let it dry between waterings.
Q: What types of lettuces should I plant that will withstand the heat and be easy to grow?
A: Most people consider lettuce to be a cold-weather crop, and that's true for some varieties. Some species, however, will tolerate heat better than others so you can have home-grown salads throughout the hot months.
The following are four varieties you may want to try :
- Buttercrunch, which is a heat-tolerant loose-head lettuce that is also bolt resistant
- Red Sails, a loose-leaf lettuce that is heat tolerant and very attractive
- Sierra, a heat-tolerant crisphead lettuce
- Summertime, another crisphead lettuce.
Money-Saver Tip: There always seem to be seeds left over after you plant your garden, and a lot of those will last until the next planting season. Store leftover seeds in old film canisters. Blocking the light keeps the seeds fresher for a longer period of time and saves you money down the road. Just remember to label the canister so you know what seeds are in it!
