Summer Pointers

We’re heading into the prime of summer, and hopefully you’re beginning to see your hard work in spring come to fruition. Although the heat is cranking up, and we’d probably rather be indoors – or at least under a patio fan stretched out on a hammock – there are a number of things that need our attention to keep these good things rolling.

I’ve collected a few tips that should get you through in good stead—plus a GardenPower™ vignette video that is relevant to this time of the year.

• This is a good time to treat your lawn with an insecticide targeting grubs. This spring when the May Beetles or June Bugs were buzzing around, they may have been dropping eggs, which will eventually hatch into grubs come July and August. Now is a good time for turf treatment. Plus, it will make your lawn’s soil a much less attractive environment for the dreaded mole—an infamous lawn destroyer and headache that dines on grubs.
• Newly planted trees require roughly an inch of water a week to maintain their health. If they’re not receiving enough rainfall, you may want to supplement with the garden hose. Weed barrier fabric and a good mulch are obvious ways to conserve this moisture.
• The right fertilization is a good idea, as well as pruning. However, timing is everything, and when it comes to these tasks, try to have most of it done by the middle of July. Young growth spurned on by fertilization and pruning can be susceptible to an early frost come fall. I usually put the pruning shears away after the 4th of July.
• If you want to prolong the blooming production of annuals and perennials, ‘deadhead’, or in other words, cut away the spent blossoms.
• Looking for some real bargains? Sometimes you can find some real deals on perennials with nurseries trying to get rid of late season stock. Look at the roots when making these last second additions to your landscape. If they are healthy and robust – not dry or rotting – you might have your work gloves on an absolute steal. Take it off of their hands, put it in your soil, and see what happens.
• Have you ever tried to protect your plants from dogs and cats? Sometimes their habits are next to unstoppable. Wrapping window screen or hardware cloth can protect expensive trees from being treated like a scratching post. I’ve also heard of gardeners using mentholated therapeutic rubs, orange and lemon peels scattered throughout the landscape, and pepper dust. Mothballs will repel cats and dogs. I know that from experience. We all love our animals, I’m just not as fond of them when they are stomping on, or worse yet, eating my plants.
• Now is a good time to divide hostas, ornamental grasses, and tulips. Dig them up with a sharp spade, and spread them to other areas of your landscape. You may need a sharp knife or even a hatchet, but it’s a worthwhile exercise in division and propagation.
• Keep an eye on ornamentals for pests like bagworms on juniper and arborvitae. Spider mites also become problematic when the weather dries, as do tent caterpillars. Spray accordingly.
• Try to water the vegetable garden early enough in the morning to allow for the foliage to dry before nightfall. This can help prevent many diseases.

See you in August...
...with more helpful tips from GardenPower™ with Joe Sherinski and your Local STIHL Dealer!

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