We’re on the pest alert this week. Now is a good time to do a systemic application of fungicide for the phlox paniculata, our common tall garden phlox that gets attacked by mildew. I have advised earlier that most diseases are easier to prevent than to cure. Phlox seems to be attacked every year because we have perfect conditions for mildew to grow … this year we are right on track again or already! A systemic fungicide or insecticide is a chemical that can be applied to the root zone on the soil, or applied to the foliage for absorption. Once the product is absorbed by the plant, it helps the plant ward off disease, or in the case of sucking or chewing insects, they ingest the chemical with the plant juice and are eliminated by their own feeding.Systemic products work well for rose pests, also. The advantage of these products is that they are at work when you are at work … often these problems escape our attention until they have become a real issue, and then the damage is already done. This is also a great time to feed shrubs, trees, perennials and roses. They are making the most active growth of the season during the next few weeks, and that is when you get the maximum benefit from a fertilizer application. Not all fertilizers are created equal, so be sure you are using the right product for the plant you are dishing it to! When doing a fertilizer application for trees, the product needs to be applied to the "drip line" area, because that is where the feeder roots are. The drip line is the area where water would fall from if it ran off the tree like an umbrella. And yes, the next week is a good time to put down crabgrass preventer … if you did it prior to all the rain we just received, good luck … just what I warned about before. If you have been wintering plants indoors to put out again this year, start setting them out for a few hours each day so they have a chance to acclimate gradually. They appreciate developing a gradual "tan" as much as you do.