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Hello, and welcome back to Gardening with Ms. Kate, where I teach you a fun new element of gardening. Today, we will be discussing how to throw a Patio Party for your plants, as Summer is rounding the corner swiftly. 

So, without further ado, let’s begin! 

Maryland is infamous for its Summer, why? Because of how humid it gets! Especially in Southern Maryland, where we are surrounded by rivers, swamps, and sounds. This can be miserable for us, but so beneficial for our tropical treasures we keep in our homes. For the patio project, I will break down different elements to make sure the party is successful. 

  • Weather – Even though the plants will enjoy the humidity and warmth that Summer provides, they still need to be monitored, especially in regards to overwatering. Overwatering can cause root rot, which is a death sentence to your plants. To avoid this, make sure your plant is in porous soil, a well draining pot, and pull your plants back into your home if there is a lot of precipitation pending.

  • Sunlight – Keeping to the theme of weather, make sure to monitor for sunburn. Oh yeah, plants can get singed by the sun too! The chlorophyll isn’t just fuel for the plant, but it serves as a type of spf for them. However, even though we wear sunscreen, we can still get fried. Leaves will show black spots haloed with yellow if they are sunburned. To remedy this, prune the damaged leaves and consider keeping the plant inside if it burns easily, or has a lot of damage. 

  • Insects – Oh yes, ‘tis the season for bugs to return and …. Bug us some more! Monitor your plants for any signs of visitors and wash them off if you see any signs of vacationing vermin. Spider mites can be identified by the webbing they leave in the stems and crooks of plants. Scales are silvery spots lounging on leaves. To get rid of them you can spray them down with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water, litter the soil with pencil shavings, and or wash the leaves vigorously. It is a battle against any bug, but hopefully you can win the war! 

There you have it, we are ready to host the festivities. With all of these factors in mind, we can host a happy Patio Plant Party. Your leafed friends will surely enjoy their time in the great outdoors, and so will you!

For more information on plant care, click here.