GARDEN TALK WITH DOUG - JULY GARDENING TIPS 1. During hot, July weather, be sure to mow your lawn to the appropriate height, about 3 to 4 inches. This reduces water loss and helps lower soil temperatures. Leave grass clippings on the lawn to decompose. Decomposed grass clippings add nitrogen back into the soil. 2. If you have been pinching back your chrysanthemums this summer, mid-July is the time to stop so they will be able to develop flower buds for the fall. 3. Check your needled evergreens such as junipers and spruce for red spider mites, a problem on conifers during hot, dry weather. Test for mite presence by shaking some of the foliage over a white piece of paper. Inspect the paper carefully for small, red moving specks. If red spider mites are present, apply an appropriate insecticide that list mite control. 4. Do not fertilize tall fescue lawns this time of year. Our cool season grass is going dormant for the summer. September will be the month to start revitalizing our lawns. 5. DROUGHT TIP: July can be a hot, dry month for us. Don’t be a victim of the drought. Proper watering means deep soaking. Repeated light sprinkling is often more harmful than beneficial. 6. Trees may lose up to 10 percent of their leaves during very dry conditions. This helps reduce water lost from the tree by transpiration, and does not harm the tree. 7. Keep deadheading spent annual flowers for continued bloom. A quality fertilizing monthly will continue to keep your blooming annuals healthy and producing flowers. Posted: 7/1/2014 by Doug Hensel
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:26:09 +0000
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