6.6.26 - Pest Patrol
Transcript
[Intro Music]
Hey folks, welcome back to the Keep Growing Podcast—your weekly dose of practical gardening advice for the Mid-Ohio Valley. I’m your host, John Morgan, coming to you from the beautiful hills and river bottoms of West Virginia. Whether you’re tending a backyard patch in Huntington, a raised bed in Point Pleasant, or containers on a porch in Marietta, we’re all in this growing season together.
This week covers June 6th through June 12th, 2026. Let’s jump right in!
Moon Phase & Main Garden Tasks
We hit the Last Quarter Moon on Monday, June 8th. That’s your cue to focus on maintenance rather than planting.
Weed, mulch, and pest patrol should be top priorities this week. The warm weather is making everything grow like crazy—including the weeds and the bugs. Stay ahead of them now so you don’t lose ground later. A good thick layer of mulch will help suppress weeds, hold in moisture, and keep soil temperatures more even.
Walk your garden every day or two and hand-pull weeds while they’re small. Check undersides of leaves for aphids, cabbage worms, squash bugs, or spider mites. Early detection makes all the difference.
Harvest regularly! Pick your veggies often—zucchini, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, whatever’s ready. Regular picking encourages the plants to keep producing instead of putting energy into oversized or overripe fruit. Plus, nothing beats the flavor of produce harvested at its peak. Don’t let those tomatoes get soft on the vine or those beans turn tough. Keep ’em coming!
Side-dress actively growing plants like tomatoes and corn with a balanced fertilizer or one that’s higher in potassium. This is prime time for heavy feeders to get a mid-season boost. Water it in well so the nutrients reach the roots. Your plants will thank you with stronger growth and better fruit set as we head deeper into summer.
Weather Outlook
After a relatively dry stretch, showers and thunderstorms return later on Saturday. Some of those storms could be strong to severe, so keep an eye on the sky—primary hazards this round are damaging winds and hail.
The pattern stays active through the rest of the weekend and into next week. We’re looking at a classic multi-day summer-like stretch with very warm temperatures well above normal. Perfect weather for gardening, but stay hydrated and take breaks during the hottest parts of the day.
Quick note: Due to a change in my recording schedule, this will be the last episode in June with a detailed weather forecast. We’ll bring forecasts back in July, along with some special remote episodes from Cultivate26 in Columbus, Ohio. Stay tuned!
Bob’s Market Spotlight
Head out to your local Bob’s Market and Greenhouses because we’ve got a fantastic deal running right now. It’s Buy One, Get One Free on our 12-inch diameter mixed hanging baskets!
These beauties are packed with full-sun lovers like petunias, calibrachoa, verbena, and more—perfect for adding bright pops of color to your porch, patio, or entryway. Normally priced at $24.99 each, this BOGO deal makes it easy to double up and really brighten up your landscape.
The sale runs through Wednesday, June 10th, so don’t wait. Swing by Bob’s in Mason, WV, or your nearest location and load up while supplies last.
Closing
That’s a wrap for this week’s Keep Growing Podcast. Keep weeding, keep harvesting, and keep those gardens thriving through the summer heat.
For full show notes, more details on the hanging basket sale, and information about our newly launched VIP Club (text alerts for sales, events, frost advisories, and more—scout’s honor, no spam), visit bobsmarket.com.
Thanks for listening, folks. This is John Morgan wishing you happy gardening and good growing. We’ll talk again soon—until then, keep growing!
[Outro Music fades in]
