Have you noticed that in the midst of all this lush growth due to rain this summer that our usual hot weather blooms are not as evident?

The combination of cool weather, excessive rains and overcast skies has encouraged the growth of foliage instead of blooms. Here is a rundown of the situation with some of our favorite summer bloomers:

On the patio, bougainvillea and hibiscus have been slow to begin blooming. The foliage looks great, but color has been sparse. It appears that we are going to receive some hot, dry weather, so they should respond with more blooms. Fertilize both species with granular hibiscus food and make sure the plants are in full sun.

Crape myrtles were slow to begin blooming this year but they sure have made up for it in recent weeks.

In a few cases, the soggy soils have caused root injury in plants that are planted in low or poorly drained areas. The symptom in less severe cases is small reddish leaves. The instinctive reaction is to fertilize, but that is not a good way to address the problem. The salty fertilizers just stress the injured roots further.

An established plant will probably recover on its own. For crape myrtles planted in the last three years, you may have to move them if you are going to have a healthy plant. Crape myrtles are drought-tolerant and require well-drained soil to prosper. If they were planted in a low spot during the two years of drought, soggy soil was not a problem. Now it is and will be in the future.

Vincas are usually the mainstay of summer flowerbeds in South Texas. This year has not been good for the drought-tolerant, sun-loving species. They are susceptible to the disease aerial phytophera that results when the foliage stays wet due to rain, humidity, or overhead sprinkling.

Many beds of vincas planted in May or June succumbed to the phytophera by disintegrating into a pile of mush. The good news is that it looks like the constant rains have ended and vincas should survive and bloom until November.

Vitex has bloomed well, but you may not notice the blooms this year. The foliage has been growing at the same time and the flowers are partially hidden within the new growth. The hummingbirds and butterflies have been able to find the blooms and they should be more visible this fall.

Lantanas have also responded to the heavy rains with a flush of growth at the expense of bloom visibility. They should make a great show this autumn.

Esperanza is also taking advantage of the rain and mild temperatures to grow foliage. The plants are lush and full. Somewhere within the thick growth are the blooms. Like lantana and vitex, expect a great bloom period this fall, if we have normal dry, sunny weather.

The poincianas have not liked this wet cool weather much at all. The glow-in-the-dark orange/red/yellow blooms are just becoming noticeable in area neighborhoods. Pull off any vines that have overgrown them and let them do their thing. If the sunny warm weather persists through September, they should still make a show and provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Most are not blooming now, but this autumn could be spectacular for all roses if it dries out. Fertilize your roses with one cup of slow release lawn fertilizer per plant and begin your spray program.

Organic gardeners have a new tool in the arsenal to protect roses from insects, Spinosad. Neem Oil and sulphur products are organic controls for fungus. Acephate and Funginex are the usual manufactured sprays for controlling pests on roses. Old fashioned roses and the tough modern roses (Knockout, Belinda’s Dream, and others) do not require a spray program most years.

Calvin R. Finch, Ph.D., is a horticulturist and the director of water resources for the San Antonio Water System.