As summer continues, gardens and potted plants might be showing some signs of detrimental conditions.

Guthrie County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardener Barb Gigar says that the most obvious sign that something is wrong is insect and pest damage. She mentions that for this time of year, a commonly found culprit is the white cabbage butterfly, who feasts on vegetables in the cabbage family as a caterpillar. This includes cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Gigar explains that another factor in stressors for plants is the amount of sun and water they get, along with how hot it is. She recommends to follow the instructions that were on the tags of different plants and vegetables to make sure that those are getting the required amount of sunlight and adequate amount of water to continue to be healthy. She mentions that watering in the early morning or evening is best, as it allows the plants to soak up the water and for the leaves to dry if they get wet. If the plants are wet when the sun is beating down on them, then they can become scalded.