Here’s your midsummer checklist, Alaska gardeners

There are a few times a year when I just have a whole bunch of things to say that are not connected and don't take more than a paragraph. These do not tie together, but I have to get them out there. Work with me here.

First, the annual Garden Pot Recycling Day this year is Aug. 12, again at the Alaska Botanical Garden. No sorting needed this year. All plastic pots, plastic trays and plastic cell packs will be accepted this year. No wires. No wood. So simple. So, save the date and the pots to recycle.

Next, it is time to take a good look at your dahlias and begonias and decide which you want: lots of flowers — essentially all the buds that are there now producing — or a few flowers, but bigger ones? It is possible to have some real showstoppers. However, you have to make sacrifices that may not be worth it.

Oh, bummer: Woolly aphids were reported last week. Spruce and hemlock get tiny, white, cottony balls all over their needles. You can deal with them by making sure the tree is healthy. The cooperative extension has a pamphlet. I would avoid spraying because you have to get the timing exactly right and because there is no really organic spray. Natural predators should deal with the problem. If not, it might be time for the tree to go. In my humble opinion, if it takes a spray, it is probably not worth saving.

Now is when you might want to check to see if your lawn has thatch. This is a layer of undecomposed stems (not leaves) of grass. Google "what does thatch look like." You probably don't have it. If you do, aerate the lawn. You can dethatch with a machine or hand rake if you want. It is a lot of work, and it may not be worth it.

If you want your lawn to be greener, put down an application of organic microbe food. Granulated molasses and soybean meal can be purchased in 50-pound bags. One or two should do fine for an average-size lawn. Water the lawn after application.

Next, now is when you want to look for wasp nests. The paper wasp nests are small and more easily dealt with. Be careful. The entire colony is there at night. Most of it is gone during the day.

Hey, consider taking cuttings from fuchsia plants you have — or from those you see and get permission to sample. They can be rooted outdoors this time of year in a small container filled with sandy soil. Remove two leaves from the sides of the cutting. These nodes must be buried as here is where new roots will come from.

Got rhubarb? Why do you grow it if you are not going to eat it or give it away? This is just one reason why I think there is too much of it in this world. Eat what you grow. And don't wait too much longer as the stuff really gets big and too tough.

Your raspberries may need some neatening up too. Soon they will be ready to pick. Make that as easy as possible by staking up plants now before they get heavy and are ladened with buzzing, stinging yellow jackets, your major competition. Then it is too late. And water yours if we don't have more rain soon.

Finally, I know you are walking by those butter and eggs. What have I tried to tell you? Never give a weed an even chance. Pull now before the flowers appear. Each plant puts out thousands of seeds.

I might add the same about chickweed. It is in flower now, but it is also really easy to gather up and pull or hoe out. Do it now before it goes to seed. And remove it from the gardens so it won't reroot.

Jeff’s Alaska garden calendar

Beer in the Garden: July 13, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. It's a fun fundraiser, let me tell you! The gardens will be in full bloom and the beer will be tasty. They even have a designated driver rate! Visit alaskabg.org/beer-in-the-garden for more.

Stake: Those delphiniums are getting pretty tall. They have hollow stems. Stake 'em, but carefully.

Editor's note: We recently learned that Jeff's columns for Alaska Dispatch News have earned him a 2017 Silver Medal from the Association for Garden Communicators — an honor that also means he's in the running to win a gold medal when the association convenes next month in Buffalo, New York. Congratulations, Jeff, and good luck!