July Tips for the Garden 2008

Here is a tip for the month of July - Sit back and relax! For many of us, the July 4th date marks the beginning of the entertainment season. And what a season it is! We plan, we phone, we shop, we decorate, we mow, we clean, we check supplies, we shop again, we cook, we carry lawn chairs and coolers outside, and we fret about the weather. When the guests arrive, it all starts over. Pouring, serving, clearing, fetching, and recycling can fill hours, if we let them. So part of the planning needs to include ways to have some time for you to sit back and enjoy your party, too. Maybe an e-mail sent to everyone with one push of the button can replace two hours of phone calls. Making your event a potluck will eliminate much of the shopping and cooking. Be sure to have everyone bring their own beverages, table service and lawn chairs. And finally, don’t mow the lawn. Your lawn will do better with foot traffic if it is a little bit longer. With all that taken care of, all that’s left for you to do is to have a good time! Now that we have talked about having parties and enjoying your yard and garden at home, let us get down to other tasks at hand for July.

It’s not too late to plant shrubs, perennials, and annual flowers, but you will need to give them a little TLC for the summer. If you have not been pinching back your garden mums, cut them back by half as soon as possible and fertilize them. You should do this task by mid July. This will help them to grow bushier and bloom when anticipated in the fall - until Thanksgiving for late blooming varieties. Avoid applying weed killers, insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers to plants when the temperatures are above 90 degrees. Spray early in the morning when temperatures are below 85.

If Japanese beetles are attacking your plants, you have several options for controlling them, from handpicking (not my favorite), to trapping (the safest), to spraying them. Japanese beetle traps are readily available, safer for children and pets, and they do a fantastic job of eradicating the problem naturally.

Photo courtesy of http://www.rescue.com/

Remove infected leaves from roses and pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed on these beauties. Keep deadheading spent annual and perennial flowers for continued bloom. Keep weeds from making seeds now. This will mean fewer weeds next year.
Hot, dry weather is ideal for spider mite development. Damage may be present even before the webs are noticeable. With spider mite damage, leaves may be speckled above and yellowed below. Evergreen needles appear dull gray-green to yellow to brown. Spray with permethrin to control this critter. Sweet corn is ripe when the silks turn brown. Blossom – end rot occurs on tomato and peppers when soil moisture is uneven and the calcium level in the soil is not right. Adding lime to the garden will help these issues next year.

Water conservation is of the utmost importance during our dry summer months. These following simple tips can save time and money. Water plants where it counts - at the roots, not the leaves. Drip irrigation systems in landscape beds do wonders for water conservation, and they are easy for the homeowner to install. Trees and shrubs would also benefit from a deep root watering this time of year. You can use a deep root feeder (without the fertilizer) for this purpose. Apply the water around the drip line of the tree for best success. Doing this every 2-3 weeks will keep your trees stress free. Trees have had a lot of stress the past couple of years with the late April freeze of ’07 and the continued drought conditions the past several summers. Water frequently enough to prevent wilting. When you mow your grass, cut it less frequently and at a higher level - Cutting it short promotes growth, and growth promotes water consumption. Longer grass blades shade the soil and conserve moisture. Plant drought tolerant, native plants where possible - Native plants are becoming more readily available in nursery settings.

Check your plant containers daily for water. Put your finger at least one inch down in the soil, if the soil is dry to that depth, water thoroughly. Hanging baskets will need a drink at least once a day, sometimes even twice a day depending on the weather. Provide water in the garden for birds during dry weather and they will repay you with wonderful antics and songs. They will even take care of some garden insects for you. Enjoy nature and your gardens this summer. You will not regret it…

See you in the Garden,
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

June Tips for the Garden 2008

Although I’ve never been accused of being short on words, sometimes it is hard to decide where to start. This month I will begin with a reminder that June is Perennial Gardening Month. Perennials are herbaceous plants that die back to the ground in the winter but return year after year to dazzle us with color.

Here is a list of the Perennial Plants of the year from 1990 through 2008 as chosen by the Perennial Plant Association:
2008 Geranium ‘Rozanne’
2007 Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’
2006 Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’
2005 Helleborus xhybridus
2004 Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'
2003 Leucanthemum 'Becky'
2002 Phlox 'David'
2001 Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
2000 Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
1999 Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
1998 Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'
1997 Salvia 'Mainacht' (May Night)
1996 Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
1995 Perovskia atriplicifolia
1994 Astilbe 'Sprite'
1993 Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
1992 Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
1991 Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'
1990 Phlox stolonifera

Pictured is the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year Geranium ‘Rozanne’.

The Perennial of the Year varieties are usually good choices for any garden, as they are tried and true varieties. Our area is in planting zone 5, so it is always important to check the plant tags for that bit of information on all plants you plan to leave in your garden from year to year. You can visit the Perennial Plant Association website at http://www.perennialplant.org/index.asp for more information on all of the plants listed above.

June is also the month of graduations, weddings, vacations, Father’s Day, and the beginning of summer. This is the month that we all begin to spend more of our free time outdoors enjoying our gardens and the fruits of our labor from the last 3 months (plus). If all of you have kept up with your tasks, then this month should be easy. However, if you are like me, June will be a month you can get caught up.

The first task that we need to do this month is to trim the spring flowering trees and shrubs. Flowering crabapples, serviceberry, dogwoods, magnolias, lilacs and viburnums all set their buds for next years’ flower on the new growth they develop this year. These plants should be pruned now to encourage new growth and therefore flower buds for next year. It is recommended that you complete the pruning of these plants by early this month.

Here are other tips for the garden for June:

· Watch for the outbreak of bagworms on garden plants, especially junipers. Then spray affected plants with Permethrin sold under the label ‘Eight’.
· Deadhead bulbs and spring perennials as blossoms fade.
· Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season.
· Fertilize Zoysia grass now while it is actively growing.
· Renovate strawberries after harvest. Mow the rows; thin out excess plants; remove weeds; fertilize and apply mulch for weed control.
· Spray roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot disease and fertilize monthly.
· Continue pinching back your garden mums until July 4 to promote full, bushy growth and good fall color.
· Water turf as needed to prevent drought stress, and watch for fungus problems.
· Mow lawns frequently enough to remove no more than one-third the total height per mowing.
· Continue enjoying the antics of the wildlife in your yard and gardens by continuing to supply food and water sources for them.

· Change hummingbird nectar at least weekly to prevent fungus from growing. You can make your own nectar: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water---no food coloring please!

· Move houseplants outside for the summer. Place plants in areas with dappled shade and some protection from hot summer winds.
· Rejuvenate your older lilacs by cutting to the ground one third of the largest branches. This will create a fuller, lusher specimen.
· Orioles (if you were lucky enough to keep them around) begin building a gray woven nest; this takes about a week.
· Watch for birds carrying food to their young.
· Gray squirrels begin a second breeding.

Are you late with getting started on your plantings this year? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! As busy as we were this May, and as wet as the weather was, many people have commented that they haven’t even begun their planting. That’s okay - you still have plenty of time. There should be a good selection of plants still available at your local garden center.

Fully enjoy your garden; it is the only true place to connect you to Mother Nature.
See you in the Garden……………..
Sandi Hillermann McDonald