Is Rainy Weather Killing Your Plants? Here's How To Save Them

It's been a rainy spring and summer for many places in United States, like Chicago, Massachusetts, Charlotte, North Carolina and New York City. And while you might have thought the stormy weather would be good for your garden, that's not necessarily the case.

Here are some of the biggest problems you need to look out for when dealing with a soggy garden bed.

Weed Infestation

Your gorgeous flowers and shrubs love water, but so do pesky weeds. A rainy season is sure to bring them out in full force, so you'll have to up your weeding game.

The fix: Basic kitchen ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and rubbing alcohol can all help you tackle your culprits, as will this homemade weed-killing recipe from Real Simple.

Plant-Killing Pests

Harmful fungi varietals like scab and rust fungi thrive in moist soil and can wreak havoc on your garden, reports the Associated Press. This is why you'll sometimes see previously healthy trees lose all of their leaves during wet summers. Other plant-eating critters who love the rain are slugs and snails.

The fix: Here's how we suggest getting rid of them naturally.

Fewer Fruits and Veggies

Without proper sunlight, plants might not have adequate fuel to create delicious produce for you to harvest. Decreased pollination due to rain can also contribute to a sparse summer bounty (Hey, bees don't like inclement weather either!).

Plant Lodging
It turns out the phrase "too much of a good thing" also applies to plants. When gardens get too much rain, what starts off as a lush landscape can quickly turn into a field of fallen soldiers if certain stems take in too much water and flop over from their own weight. This is known as lodging and can commonly occur in taller plants.

The fix: Country Living suggests affixing at-risk stems to wooden stakes before a storm for added support.

Waterlogged Roots

When the pores of a plant's roots get totally filled with water, that means they aren't absorbing enough air, nutrients and — ironically enough — water, and the plant will start to wilt. Usually the roots will recover if the soil dries out within a couple of days, but it becomes a larger issue when dealing with long periods of rain.

The fix: In clay soils, the AP recommends adding compost, leaves or straw to the mix. These materials will cause the smaller clay particles to aggregate and create a better drainage system.

Associated Press writer Lee Reich has contributed to this story.