July Lawn and Garden Tips

July Lawn & Garden Tips

By:  Scott Welborn, Consumer Horticulture Agent

Grasses

           Fescue goes naturally semi-dormant during extremes of hot and/or dry weather; it can survive 3 weeks without water.  Water only when grass shows signs of wilt (footprints will show when grass is walked on).  If it is extremely hot and dry, your fescue lawn will need some irrigation.  The most effective watering methods is to water to the point of runoff, turn off sprinkler to let water soak in, then   water again, repeating until the root zone (6" deep) is moist.  Unless the water reaches the roots where it is taken up by the plant, you waste both time and water.  Water in early morning or late at night; late afternoon or early evening is the worst time to water as the grass stays wet for a longer time and encourages diseases.

            Warm season grasses such as Bermuda needs to be fertilized during the warm months of the year.  Apply 1 pound of nitrogen each month during the summertime from May to August.  One pound of Nitrogen would equal 10 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer.  Be sure to water it in during dry times.

            DON’T bag grass clippings.  Leave them on the lawn and save 25% on your fertilizer needs for the year.  Clippings take up unnecessary landfill space and can be best disposed of in a home compost bin. (Compost clippings only if you have NOT applied broadleaf weed killer!)

Crape Myrtles

            The beauty of crape myrtles is shown in their color this month.  Prune spent flower blossoms and you’ll prolong the flowering period.  If the leaves appear dark and sooty or almost uniformly charcoal gray, you have sooty mold, the result of an aphid infestation in May/June.  Spray now with horticultural oil or soaps according to label directions.  Next year watch for and treat aphids in May.  Some have problems with powdery mildew.  Use horticultural oils to control mildew.

Evergreens

            Cuttings- July-September are the months to take semi-hardwood cuttings of evergreen shrubs. Remove the leaves from the lower half of cutting and dip in rooting powder. Place in a well drained media in a container that can be placed in a clear plastic bag or set in a cold frame.  Place them out of direct sunlight and keep moist for about 8 weeks or until rooted. (azalea, boxwood, holly, camellia and other evergreen shrubs)

            Bagworms -Handpick the bags. Pesticides are not effective once bags have been produced.

Trees

            Remove suckers and water sprouts from trees.  Do NOT excessively prune trees.  It is too hot!  Some summer pruning can be done to maintain shape and to remove dead and diseases areas.

Watering

            Water plants carefully early in the morning to avoid evaporation.  Trickle or drip irrigation works well for valuable trees and shrubs.  Shade trees may need more water especially if they are in declining health.  Most of the water should be placed at the outer reaches of the root system (the “drip line”) where the small root hairs which take up the soil moisture are located.  When you water a tree, water deeply—apply sufficient water so the soil is quite moist to a depth of at least 8”.

Deadhead

            If you cut off (deadhead) blossoms when they die, then you will prolong the flowering period of the plant.

In The Garden…..

            What to Plant this Month? It’s a little late to be planting but consider second crops of cucumbers and bush beans at this time.  Also begin to plan your fall garden so you can begin planting the middle to late August. 

Yellow Jackets

            These bees can ruin outings until frost. With insect prey (their usual diet)                 becoming scarce, yellow jackets scavenge for other sources of nutrition, especially sweets, e.g. fruits, ice cream, soft drinks.  A dilute solution of ammonia and water (6 oz. of ammonia per gallon of water) sprayed in and around trash cans and sponged onto outdoor tables and food preparation surfaces may help to repel yellow jackets from these areas.  Use household  ammonia, not bleach.  Aerosol sprays that control wasps and hornets work well to control yellow jackets. Carefully locate the nest and use these sprays at dusk or after dark directly in the hole.  Do NOT pour gasoline into a nest.  This can contaminate our ground water. 

March Lawn & Garden Tips

Lawn

Fescue

This is the month that cool season grasses really start to grow. If you haven't already, go ahead and apply your fertilizer. A soil test is the preferred method of determining how much to apply but if you haven't or will not do a soil test, apply 10 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 1000 square feet of lawn space. This will get your lawn off to a good start.

Warm season grasses such as Bermuda and Zoysia need to be fertilized during the warm months of the year. Now is the time to conduct weed control for broadleaf weeds in your warm season grasses.

DON’T bag grass clippings. Leave them on the lawn and save 25% on your fertilizer needs for the year. Clippings take up unnecessary landfill space and can be best disposed of in a home compost bin. (Compost clippings only if you have NOT applied broadleaf weed killer!)

Shrubs

Your shrubbery should be pruned this time of the year. Pruning prior to bud break is the safest pruning method for most shrubs. If you have shrubs that bloom on one year old wood such as Azaleas and Hydrangeas, prune them after they bloom. Now is also a good time to clean up any fallen leaves and debris in your shrub beds to prevent diseases from last year from reappearing.

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees should be pruned prior to bud break. If you are just getting around to it, then you are late! It is still ok to prune but you must to it asap! As your trees bloom, begin spraying with an all purpose orchard spray every two weeks as the flower petals fall from the tree. The first 6 weeks of spraying is critical for a decent fruit crop.

Trees

Remove any dead, diseased or crossing branches from your trees prior to bud break.

In The Garden…..

It's time for that spring garden again! In reality it is best in our area to plant your spring crops as early as March 1st. If you have yet to get around to planting, there is still time to plant early cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, beets, onions and basically any crop that can take a frost and that will be harvested within 60 days or so.

It is also time to begin turning in your cover crops to prepare for your summer planting. In our area we plant around May 1, and you will need the month and a half until then for the cover crops to decompose properly in the soil prior to planting. Now is also a good time to conduct a soil test, as you still have time to get it back prior to summer planting.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass and summer broadleaf weed preventers should be applied while the forsythia is in bloom, but before the dogwoods bloom. This is usually around March 15-April 1. A second pre-emergence treatment should be applied eight weeks after the first to maintain season long control of crabgrass. Pre-emergent herbicides can only be used on established lawns, if you seeded your Tall Fescue lawn this past fall or overseeded this spring you cannot use any pre-emergent herbicides for crabgrass or you will kill/damage your Tall Fescue. If you already have crabgrass above ground these products are useless. A post-emergent herbicide may be applied for control of emerged crabgrass early in the summer.

December Garden tips

December Garden Tips

Lawn & Garden Tips

Vegetables in Season

Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Leafy Greens

Mushrooms

Sweet Potatoes

House Plant Care

Now that summer is over, and frost is upon us, it’s time to have those houseplants indoors. Most houseplants are tropical and the in house environment can be stressful. The biggest problem is humidity. The humidity in the house is generally very low and can sometimes cause browning of leaves. In order to prevent this, one could place a humidifier in the room where the plants are or simply use a spray bottle to mist the plants once or twice a day. This will make the indoor environment much more conducive to growth. It is also important to make sure you water regularly but don’t flood your plants. House plants like moist soil but not saturated. Lastly, watch out for insects such as aphids and whitefly. These insects can infest houseplants throughout the winter.

Remember: “houseplants give us oxygen for our lungs and food for our soul”

Poinsettias & Holiday Plants

When selecting poinsettias, look for plants with yellow flowers (in the centers of the colored leaves) that are not quite open. Tight flower buds are a good indication that the plant is fresh and healthy. Once you bring your poinsettia home keep it in an area that receives bright light for at least 6 hours per day and has a constant temperature of about 65-70°F. Keep poinsettias away from doorways or other areas that are drafty, and keep them well watered but not over watered.

*Mistletoe should be kept away from children and pets in your home. The berries of mistletoe are toxic.*

Winter Damage to Plants

Winter is a stressful time for plants. Take the time to mulch them well and protect those tender plants with row covers. Do not fertilize plants with a nitrogen fertilizer in the winter and hold off pruning damaged plants until the coldest part of winter is over. This will allow you more options when try to recover a plant that has been severely cold or ice damaged.

Bird Feeders

Bird feeders should be cleaned monthly with hot sudsy water to prevent the spread of wild bird diseases.

Christmas Trees

Buy your Christmas tree early for best selection and care of tree. By following these suggestions, you can reduce the risk of a fire hazard in the home:

· Keep the tree in a bucket of water, in a shady location outdoors or in an unheated room until you are ready to place it inside.

· Re-cut the butt of the tree making a new avenue for water entry immediately prior to placing in your tree stand and bringing it indoors

· While indoors, keep watered at all times.

· The tree needs only fresh water; additives are of little or no value.

*The use of brand names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.*

In The Garden…..

Spring Bulbs

If you have not planted those spring flowering bulbs, better get at it, and always plant quality bulbs. Larger bulbs produce larger flowers. Pansy plants set among bulbs will give the ground a great winter and spring cover and allow the bulbs to come right through in the spring.

Go on Weed Patrol

Many people take a break in the winter but now is the time to be spraying and pulling all the winter weeds such as chickweed and henbit. These will produce millions of seeds if not destroyed before they flower!

Care of Balled & Burlapped Plants

When Transplanting “B&B” plants, lift by the ball of soil. Don’t use the trunk or stems as a handle because the soil will break away from the roots. A B&B plant should be kept watered to prevent drying out during the period before it is planted. If it cannot be planted immediately, “heel in” plants temporarily. “Heeling in” means digging a trench, laying the plants at a 45 degree angle, and placing soil over the root ball. Water well. This system provides more even soil moisture within the ball and prevents the root system from freezing during low temperature periods

Lawn & Gardening T

NC State University and NC A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

NC Cooperative Extension Service

Davidson County Center

301 East Center Street

Lexington, NC 27292

Phone: 336-242-2085

Fax: 336-249-7300

Web: http://davidson.ces.ncsu.edu

Scott Welborn

Consumer Horticulture Agent

E-mail: scott_welborn@ncsu.edu

Gift Ideas for the Gardener

Tools are always a good idea for the gardener. If giving tools try to find those that are good quality. Cheaply made tools are more of a hindrance than a help.

Put a little spice in your life.

Hot Peppers may literally be the spice of our life. Follow the link below to find out more.

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=62587

Spring has come and is on it's way out...how did the trials go??

Well, it has been a hard year for spring gardens! As you all know, it has been extremely hot and this has had some affect on our spring crops. This year marked a great trial year, and you may say why? In a research garden, adverse weather is a good thing, so we can test the merits of crops in the worst conditions.

This year we trialed:

Cabbage
- Parel - Sweet flavor, some splitting or busting due to hot weather, Taste Grade - A+, Appearance Grade - B-

- Bronco - Average flavor, firm nice heads unaffected by heat, Taste Grade - B, Appearance Grade - A

Broccoli
-Premium Crop - Good flavor, larger bead, semi-loose heads due to heat - Taste Grade A, Appearance Grade -B+

-Blue Wind - Good flavor, small bead, tight heads, (20% bolting due to heat) - Taste Grade A, Appearance Grade - A

Iceberg Lettuce
-Tiber - Excellent flavor, small size due to heat, 30% tip burn due to heat - Taste Grade A+, Appearance Grade - B

Excalibur - Excellent flavor, large heads, poor fall performance, excellent spring performance - Taste Grade A, Appearance grade - B+

Romaine lettuce
Parris Island - Excellent strong growth, Dark green - Taste Grade - B+, Appearance Grade - A

Cauliflower
Fremont - Excellent growth, large heads, heat tolerant, not self wrapping - Taste Grade - A, Appearance Grade - A

Symphony - Excellent growth, large heads, heat tolerant, self wrapping, not recommended for fall cropping. Excellent in spring. Strong flavor. Taste Grade - B+, Appearance Grade A

Kohlrabi
If you haven't tasted it you need too. It taste like a potato and a cabbage mixed together and is very good cooked! Easy to grow! Ours turned out great! I grew a variety called "Winner". Overall grade A


Even in bad years we can still have an excellent crop of spring vegetables. Your harvest will be reduced and come and go much more quickly but it's worth the effort every time!

End year round up of Vegetable Varieties.

This year's crops were less than stellar.

Broccoli - Arcadia = Average size, bland taste, purple leaves in the cold

Cauliflower - Symphony - Average Size, Sweet Taste, Strong Smell!, not cold tolerant

Cabbage - Bronco - Average Size, Good taste, Slow Growing

Head Lettuce - Excalibur - Good Size, Good Taste, High % of deformed heads

Carrots - Sweetness II - Excellent Size, taste and tolerance!

Zucchini - Meteor - Horrible, few zucchinis, poor taste

Jalapeno Pepper - El Jefe - Excellent growth, taste, fruit size, and diseases/insect resistance

Okra - Cajun Delight - Short plant, slow growth, good pod production

Cantaloupe - Athena - Excellent all around

Cucumber - Sultan - Excellent growth, sweet taste, slightly oily cucumber

Bell Pepper - X3R Red Knight - Excellent growth, taste, diseases resistance

Tomato - Big Beef - Good Growth, Large excellent tasting tomatoes, poor resistance to leaf spot

Tomato - Rose - Large plant, large tomato, good taste, few tomatoes


As you can tell, few of the varieties really stood out this year, but that is what the garden is for! We have to weed out the bad ones so you don't waste your time growing them.

For your spring garden I would recommend:

Cabbage - Parel

Broccoli - Premium Crop

Cauliflower - Fremont

Head Lettuce - Tiber

Carrots - Sweetness II or III

These would need to be planted out side around the first of March.