August Tips for the Garden 2008

August brings us the dog days of summer... there is no doubt about that. July 2008 brought us milder temperatures and more moisture than usual for this time of year. I must say it was very welcome, too. This may help some of the trees and shrubs damaged from droughts and ice storms of the past years recover better. However, the ground dries fast in the summer heat and wind. Be sure to provide water for all your trees, shrubs, and plants when rain is not enough.

If you have not started enjoying “Outdoor Living,” it is NOT TOO LATE. With the price of gas lately, it is only understandable that more and more people are retreating to their own backyards for vacations at home this year. So, forget the stress of planning and traveling and enjoy your own “Stay-cation!” There are designers in the industry to help you with ideas that will turn your yard into an outdoor oasis. Look for inspiration at every “independent lawn and garden retailer.” Add patios, walkways, walls, water, hammocks and more!

Be sure to visit the Washington Town & Country Fair this year (August 6th-10th). Don’t miss these two educational areas: the Agri-Land booth (near the livestock barns) and Hillermann’s “Gardening for Fun and Smarts” (near the North Entrance Gate). Both of these booths offer hands on learning opportunities (for kids and adults) and helpful handout sheets on outdoor activities and gardening!

Here are additional tips for the heat and drought period of August:


¨ It is not too late to put up Japanese Beetle traps to catch those pesky critters in a natural, safe way.
¨ You can still apply lawn insecticides until August 15 to guard off grubs, fleas, ticks, etc. in the yard.
¨ Compost or till under residues and debris from harvested crops.
¨ Prop up the branches of your fruit trees that are threatening to break under the weight of a heavy crop.
¨ Keep deadheading your spent annual and perennial flowers for continued blooms into fall.
¨ Feed hardy garden mums and asters for the last time this season.
¨ Monitor plants for spider mite activity. Hose affected plants off with a forceful spray of water, or spray with Bonide Eight (with Permethrin). To test for spider mites, hold a piece of white paper under the leaves. Tap on the leaves and then run your hand over the piece of white paper. If you see evidence of red streaks on the paper, you have an infestation of spider mites!
¨ Roses should receive no further nitrogen fertilizer after the end of August to prevent the production of late tender growth that could be damaged by fall frosts.
¨ Deep root water established trees around the drip line (this is where the edge of the branches stop) to help alleviate stress on trees going into winter.
¨ Soak shrubs periodically during dry spells with enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of 8-10 inches.
¨ Toward the end of August, dormant lawns should be soaked to encourage strong fall growth.
¨ Prune to shape hedges for the last time this season.
¨ Once bagworms reach full size, insecticides are ineffective. Pruning off or pulling and burning or discarding of large bags provides better control for next year.
¨ Watch for fall webworm activity. Apply Fertilome bagworm and Tent Caterpillar Spray when webs are first spotted. Rip open the web bag before spraying for best control.
¨ Cultivate Strawberries and apply weed preventer immediately, after fertilizing.
¨ Protect ripening fruits from birds by covering plants with bird netting. (This is a poly type product readily available at Garden Centers).
¨ Pinch the growing tips of gourds once the adequate fruit set amount is achieved. This directs energy into the ripening fruits, rather than vine production.
¨ Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower transplants should be set out for the fall garden. Also, sow seeds of lettuce, radish, beans, beets, spinach and turnips now. (Spinach may germinate better if the seeds are refrigerated.)
¨ Lawn renovation and over-seeding time is right around the corner. I will discuss this more in September.
¨ For additional information about garden tips for summer and all seasons, check out this website www.hillermann.com.

Time to go... See you in the Garden!!
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

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

May Tips for the Garden 2008

“Coming home” at the end of a day can be even more important to us now than ever before. Times are changing and everyone is busier than before with kids to coach, meetings to attend, and work to do. In addition, the cost of gas makes us want to leave the car parked when possible. So, enjoy daylight savings time and extend your living quarters to your yard and garden. Think of your outdoor spaces as an extension of your home. And in doing so, consider the floor, walls, and ceiling per se. Adding resting areas is easy to do…hang a hammock in a tree, set a bistro set in the perennial garden, or put benches in your Hosta beds. Then invite friends over and have a cook out. Let the nature in your yard tickle your senses with the sounds of birds, smells of flowers, sound of running water, and splashes of color. Hardscapes can enhance your outdoor rooms by adding a “floor” to your area of enjoyment.

While you are enjoying your yard, and I hope that you are, here are some items to put onto your gardening checklist. Begin planting summer annuals (spring has finally come to stay!) to add color and spice to the landscape, and don’t stop with just the flowerbeds. There are many new color introductions available in annuals this year that will prove to be very exciting. Try Dragon Wing Begonias, Kong Coleous, Black and Blue Salvia, or Juncus to name a few. Another great addition to the landscape, Knock Out Roses - really are Knock Outs, and are now available in 9 varieties (including singles and doubles). These beauties are very disease resistant and require low maintenance. Therefore, roses are not just for the experts anymore.

Container gardening continues to be a trendy thing. The many choices, styles, shapes, and colors of containers make great accent pieces for inside or out. Let your imagination soar and express yourself. Use imaginative containers you pick up at flea markets and auction yards. Learn to mix annuals and perennials for great combinations. Try hostas with begonias and impatiens….or hydrangeas with groundcovers. These containers can make great accent pieces on the front porch, the back deck, in a flowerbed, around the pool, or at the end of the driveway. In addition, you can rearrange them as often as you wish. No room for a vegetable garden? Try one in a container. You can enjoy fresh tomatoes easily this way. You could even try a Salsa Garden in honor of Cinco do Mayo.

Take your houseplants outdoors once the evening temperatures will remain above 50`. Move sun-loving plants (hibiscus, gardenias, mandevillas, etc.) gradually to sunny locations, as they have not had full sun in your home and will need to be acclimated to those conditions. Plant summer bulbs now and fertilize with bone meal or bulb food. Pinch hardy garden mums back now and continue to do so until July 4 to insure proper fall blooming. Treat slugs in your garden with organic diatomaceous earth. This powder product is 100% safe, and is good for the treatment of slugs, ants, fleas and ticks outside, as well as roaches and ants indoors. This organic product is very safe to use and a good one to have on hand. “Natural Gardening” with eco-friendly products is a very “trendy” and SAFE thing to do for your own health as well as the environment. Check out the chemical-free options available to you today. Then sit back and watch your kids and pets enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

Insect problems to watch for this month are pine sawflies, aphids, scale crawlers, cucumber beetles, and grubs, to name a few. Permethrin is the chemical product on the market today that is labeled for indoor and outdoor use. Permethrin will kill a large variety of insects on plants, in the soil, and in the home. It comes in many formulations and strengths. See a professional for questions of use of this product.

Other May tips include:
· Pinch azalea and rhododendron blossoms as the flowers fade.
· Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons with an acid base fertilizer now.
· Do not remove spring bulb foliage too early or next year’s flower production will decline. Let the foliage die back naturally.
· Plant hardy water lilies now.
· Begin fertilizing annuals now and continue at regular intervals all season long.
· Treat trees with borer problems now with Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub product.
· Keep bluegrass lawns cut at 1.5-2.5” high, fescue lawns at 2-3.5” high and zoysia at 1.5” high.
· Apply post-emergence broadleaf weed controls to the lawn now if needed.
· Begin planting sweet corn, tomato plants, peppers and sweet potatoes as the soil warms up.
· Keep asparagus harvested for continued spear production.
· Remove rhubarb seed stalks as they appear.
· Do not spray any fruits while in bloom, you may ruin the pollination process.
· Birds eat many insects so attract them to your garden by providing good nesting habitats.
· Herbs planted in average soils need no extra fertilizer. Too much may reduce flavor and pungency at harvest.
· Watch for fireflies on warm nights. Both adults and larvae are important predators for plant damaging insects.

Until next month, enjoy connecting with nature and….see you in the garden….

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

April Tips for the Garden 2008

BREATHE! It is something we all have been doing since the doctor gave us that first slap on the behind the day we were born. It is something we do 24 hours a day every day of our lives, even while we sleep. We do it without thinking about it. Maybe that is part of our problem. The first thing I do each morning after I shut off the alarm clock is to take 5 long, slow, deep breaths and think about each one. It really clears the cobwebs out. As the day progresses and things happen that begin to build the stress level, I repeat my morning ritual, and the problems almost solve themselves. What does this have to do with your landscape? What better place to think about and practice breathing then out in your garden. Notice the clean fresh air following a spring thunderstorm, or the fragrance of all of the flowers in your landscape. Enjoy relaxing deep breaths after you have finished mowing your lawn. The next time you feel the stress starting to build, somebody just cut you off on your drive to work, the kids are yelling and arguing, or the weeds seem to be the only thing growing in your landscape, just breathe. Try it! I’ll bet you keep doing it!
Now pay attention to the birds singing early in the mornings and their increased activity, which leads way to courting, nesting and soon to be, new fledglings. Therefore, I encourage you to continue feeding our feathered friends during this important time and enjoy the antics that lie ahead. I would also like to remind you that these little birds do eat many insects, which is a great benefit for your yard and garden. You should already have your purple martin houses up and filled, and it is time to hang up the hummingbird feeders. You can make your own nectar using four parts sugar to 1 part water. Boil together the mixture to dissolve, fill your feeders and enjoy. Change out the liquid frequently as hummingbirds are very fragile and our summer heat can quickly ferment the sugar mixture. Clean the feeder in between each filling.
The lengthening of daylight also seems to brighten peoples’ spirits and relieve some stress as we can now move outdoors and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. So, I invite you to go outside and “dig in.” Here are tips to help you get started:
· Remove winter mulch now from your rose bushes. Trim out dead and diseased canes. Cut all other green wood to about 18” above the ground on Floribunda and tea rose varieties. A 24-30” height is good on shrub roses (such as the Knock Out rose bush).
· Fertilize your roses with a slow release fertilizer and begin fungicide treatments to control black spot disease.
· When Crabapples are in bloom, hardy annuals can be planted.
· Transplant trees, shrubs, and perennials early in the month for best results. This means moving plants you already have established in your yard that need to be moved to a new location.
· Spots and bare patches in the lawn can still be over seeded if you did not apply a Crabgrass Preventer. During spring there are more issues to be aware of when seeding a lawn rather than in the fall. Talk to a professional about seed choices and proper procedures.
· Easter lilies can be planted after they finish blooming. Set the bulbs 2-3” deeper then they are in the pot. They are generally hardy here and can take full sun.
· Liquid weed control should be applied early this month to control dandelions, henbit, and other broadleaf weeds. New grass in recently seeded areas MUST have grown enough to be mowed three times before it is strong enough to be treated with weed chemicals.
· Prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.
· Asparagus and rhubarb harvests begin. Keep your hoe sharp!
· Start cucumber, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month for late May/early June planting outside.
· Shrubs such as Crepe Myrtle, Butterfly Bush, and Hardy Hibiscus can be pruned back to green wood this month. REMINDER - these plants leaf out very late (early May) and should not be considered dead, or be replaced until after Mother’s Day.
· Termites begin swarming. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae. Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae.
· Apply Bayer Advance Insect Control this month to control borers in shade trees and shrubs.
· Remove old tree wraps from trees planted last fall so they do not create a place for insects to harbor.
· Mole young are born in chambers deep underground.
· Protect bees and other pollinating insects. Do not spray insecticides on fruit trees that are in bloom. Bees are in danger and it is very important to be careful around them. In fact, check out nature friendly products readily available in garden centers when needing to do insect treatments.
· Ornamental Pear trees need to be sprayed with Streptemycin “during” the flowering stage to prevent “Fire Blight” disease.
· Water gardens may be cleaned out and the water changed. Do not scrub the walls since this will remove accumulated beneficial bacteria. Begin adding additional bacteria and barley bales now to begin the natural cycle of pond clean-up. Have questions, call a professional for assistance.
· The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. Transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes can also begin to be planted outdoors now.
· Container gardening is a good choice for flower and vegetable gardening if space is in short supply. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, check it out!!
· “Natural Gardening” is a wave of the future… keep your family safe and check out what organic options are available to you when gardening this year. There are many.

Well, time is running short…see you in the garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald