GARDEN TALK WITH DOUG - AUGUST GARDEN TIPS 1. LAWN CARE – September is the month that we begin our first application of seeding and fertilizing. But, August is the month for preparation: a) Have a complete soil analysis made for your lawn. You can contact your local county extension service for more information. Here are some phone numbers for our area: Chesterfield County - 751 – 4401 Henrico County - 672 – 5160 Powhatan County - 598 – 5640 Hanover County - 537 – 6000 b) Thatch or rake hard with a fan rake to remove debris and dead grass. c) Add Fast Acting Lime: 1 bag / 4,000 square feet d) Aerate – best to do a core aeration whereby plugs of soil are pulled up during the aeration process - in order to loosen the compaction of the soil. 2. Give your roses their final feeding of the season. Roses will continue to bloom through the fall. 3. Are you planning to do some planting this fall? If so, August is the month to prepare your ideas in order to take advantage of the fall planting season. Fall is the best time to transplant and install new shrubs and trees because roots can get more established before next summer’s heat arrives again. 4. August is the month to appreciate all ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus, Pennisetum, and Pampas grass with all their beautiful plumes that provide motion and contrast. 5. Spider mites like hot, dry weather. Be sure to inspect your needled evergreens, such as dwarf Albert Spruce and other conifers. Indications of a spider mite infestation are the browning of the evergreen and a decline in health. Here is a simple tip on how to determine that your plant may be infested with spider mites: use a white sheet of paper and shake the plant so that plant debris falls on the paper. Closely inspect the debris and look for small, microscopic dots moving around on the paper. The mites could be either red or black in color. If you detect mites than spray the plant with a miticide. Some suggested products include Bonide Neem Oil, Bonide 3 in 1, and Bonide All Seasons Horticultural Oil. As always, be sure to ready the instruction carefully and apply the chemical according to the instructions. Posted: 7/30/2014 by Doug Hensel
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:35:50 +0000
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