Five Prevalent Culprits That Can Destroy Your Flowers In The Garden

If you have ever taken pride and joy in a flower garden, then you know the amount of work it takes to grow the flowers, maintain them, and keep them healthy and happy. Of course, one of the reasons why it takes a lot of work to maintain a flower garden is the fact that there are quite a few things that can go wrong. There are certain culprits that will invade the flowerbed and suddenly you will no longer have a beautiful flower garden but might find that the garden has died back.

Here is a list of the five prevalent culprits that can destroy your flowers in the garden:

Number one on the list are insects. There are plenty of beneficial insects, such as ladybugs that will dine on aphids and bees that will pollinate your fruit trees, but there are many more that will literally suck the life right out of your plants. Aphids are probably the worst kind of pest. They take over quickly and completely and simply will not quit. Other garden pests will not just suck the life out of your flowers but they will go right ahead and eat them up as well. You may find yourself looking in disbelief at a flower that is little more than a few leaves with big holes, and a half eaten stem. While insecticides will get rid of many of the insects at least temporarily, keep in mind that they will also do away with the beneficial insects and the ones you want to attract, such as butterflies.

Powdery mildew will also destroy your plants. Your flowers may show this fungus underneath leaves and on stems. The only way to get rid of this fungus is to cut out affected leaves and plants and ensure proper air circulation in the flower bed. Excessive watering needs to be curtailed.

Root rot will destroy your flowers faster than anything else. Once a plant is affected it cannot be saved, and it is best to get rid of the affected plants, and make sure that your soil is in good condition. Review the watering needs of your flowerbed and adjust your sprinklers. If necessary, make sure that the sprinkler system is in good working order and that there are no leaks that allow water to continuously leak into the ground.

Deer, wild rabbits, and other herbivores will eat your plants and leave you with nothing but stalks. The same is true for those pests who will attack your vegetable garden. Bulb loving mammals care little if they are eating your onions or tulips, and you will need to discuss proper measures with your local garden store. If worst comes to worst, you may need to employ an exterminator or animal relocator who can help you to rid your yard of these animals.

Weather damage is fifth on the list. There may be the surprise hailstorm nobody expected to happen in June or the early frost that hits your area in August with little warning. You can prevent the damage by keeping an eye on the weather forecast and if you hear about possible hail showers taking measures to provide some shelter for your flowers. Mulching around them will also permit them to live through unseasonably early cold spells. Strong gardening tarp pulled over the flower bed will also help to keep heat in, yet remember that if you permit this tarp to remain too long, water accumulation will make it so heavy that eventually it will collapse and damage your flowers by breaking them off.