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.
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