Specific Chores:
Build a coldframe for
rooting your shrub cuttings.
Renovate your strawberry bed
after the berry harvest is
completed. Potted plants
will need frequent watering
which also means you need to
fertilize often. Feed
established container plants
and hanging baskets weekly
with fertilizer such as
20-20-20. To feed less
often, sprinkle slow-release
fertilizer pellets on the
surface of the soil.
Apply organic
mulches as the soil warms.
These will conserve
moisture, discourage weeds,
and enrich the soil as they
decay.
Most houseplants brought
outside prefer a bright spot
shaded from afternoon sun.
Check soil moisture daily
during hot weather.
When using any gas
powered equipment, be sure
to allow the engine a few
minutes to cool before
refilling empty fuel tanks.
Try Something
Different
For a really bold look in
the garden this
summer.....consider planting
Ricinus communis, commonly
known as Caster-Bean. Yes,
this is the plant that gets
15' tall and has a spread of
15-20', and has large
palmately lobed leaves to
the size of 3' across. And
yes, every part of the plant
is poisonous to humans,
cattle, sheep, pigs and
chickens. So why plant this
monster in the landscape? It
has great foliage, form and
color and an overall shape
like nothing else in the
garden. It'll be quite a
topic of conversation
also....just don't put it in
a salad! They do germinate
from seed quite easily so
you still have time to plant
a few.
Several cultivars are
available:
"Borboniensis
arboreus" - Red stems
and glaucous stems
"Cambodgensis" -
Dark foliage and stem color
"Sanguineus" - Red
foliage
"Gibsonii" - Dwarf
form
BEES, WASPS,
HORNETS
Summer brings many stinging
insects into our yards.
These can be a menace
especially to those people
who are allergic to their
stings.
Bumble bees are
1/2 to 1 inch long with
black and yellow or black
and orange body markings.
These insects are not
usually aggressive but will
sting if their nest or nest
entrance is disturbed. Nests
are often built underground.
Colonies are annual and only
young fertilized queens
overwinter. Nest inhabitants
are killed by the autumn
frosts.
Some wasps make
nests out of mud or clay,
while others make a circular
paper-like nest with exposed
nest cells that look like a
honeycomb. Only fertilized
queens hibernate over the
winter in a protected area.
Yellow jackets are
small yellow and black
insects with a wasp-like
waist who nest underground,
under stones and in walls.
These social insects
continue to increase the
size of their nest
throughout the summer. They
can be a real menace in
picnic areas in late summer.
Autumn frosts kill off the
inhabitants, only the queens
hibernate during the winter.
Hornets are
closely related to yellow
jackets. They are large
insects with black and white
markings, their large gray
football shaped paper-like
nests can be seen in bushes
and trees. Autumn frosts
will kill off nest
inhabitants. Only the queen
hibernates over the winter.
These insects are sensitive
to vibrations and will sting
when the nest is disturbed.
Fruit attracts them; keep
all fruit picked up off the
ground. Hornets can give a
very nasty sting.
Effective control depends
on species and nest
location. If the nest is in
the ground apply a dust
formulation to the nest
entrance. If the nest is in
a tree, shrub or other above
ground area apply a
hornet-wasp aerosol spray
that reaches 8 to 10 feet.
All pesticides should be
applied at night when
insects are least active. Be
sure you are fully covered
and protected from stings
when you apply.
GRASSCYCLING
Let those clippings lay! If
you are bagging grass
clippings, you may want to
reconsider this practice.
Here's why.
(1) Grass clippings
contain lots of nitrogen.
You may reduce the amount of
fertilizer that you apply if
grass clippings are returned
to the soil.
(2) Grass clippings do
not contribute to thatch
build up. Grass clippings
decompose quickly if the
soil pH is between 6.0 and
7.0.
(3) The key to grass
cycling is to mow no more
than 1/3 of the turf leaf
blades in any one mowing.
(ex. when lawn reaches
3" cut to 2").
This practice may require
more frequent mowing but
eliminates the grass
clipping disposal problem
and is healthier for the
turf.
(4) Of course, if the
mowing operation results in
piles of clippings they must
be raked up. Use them as
mulch around trees and
shrubs or compost them.
So, keep your mower
blades sharp, cut no lower
than 1.5 inches, mow a
little more frequently and
you too will be into
grasscycling.