Here
are some tips to prepare your lawn and garden this month:
The long, hot days of summers are an ideal time for the dedicated gardener. Your heat tolerant plants will be producing masses of long lasting blooms. Whether your garden has flowers or foliage or both, mid to late summer is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As with all worthwhile projects there are necessary chores to ensure the current and future health of your garden.
When rainfall is infrequent check soil moisture often, proper watering is essential during the hot summer months. As a general rule, plants need about an inch of water a week. Infrequent watering causes the roots to grow close to the surface, reducing their ability to withstand the summer heat. Proper watering of your plants will result in roots that grow deep and strong.
Mid to late summer is the time for pruning. Once they have finished blooming, the flowering shrubs from spring and early summer are ready for pruning. Properly timed pruning is essential to maintain beautiful, healthy plants year after year.
To keep beds looking fresh and promote rebloom later in the season, deadhead faded flowers and foliage.
A two to three inch layer of mulch between plants and over bare soil will discourage weeds and help maintain soil moisture.
If you are vigilant, garden pests can be controlled. Routinely inspection and prompt action will keep your garden from developing a pest problem. Often the solution is environmentally friendly, aphids and mites are easily removed with a strong spray of water from your garden hose.
Now is the time to plant those colorful, full-sun annuals. You can’t go wrong with zinnias, verbenas, portulacos, celosias or sun coleus. If you need a taller plant for background or a fence line, be sure to consider Mexican sunflowers.
To give your garden maximum impact, grab a cart when shopping at your local nursery. Select and arrange plants in the cart for the combinations that best compliment your planting diagram. This is a terrific way to easily mix and match plants prior to purchase and planting.
For the high tech gardener, snap a few pics with your cell phone camera to refer back to when you are ready to plant.
Sun-loving Coleus will add bold, colorful foliage to your garden. The copper-colored leaves of “Rustic Orange” are rimmed in bright green and add an instant splash of color to the summer garden.
Coneflowers are a must have for the mid-to late summer garden. The coneflower is an easy care plant with very few needs. When planted in a location that provides at least four hours of direct sunlight and well drained soil, the coneflower will produce flowers throughout the hottest days of summer. Coneflowers last well as a cut flower. Fill your favorite vase with these a showy blooms for a long-lasting bouquet.
Another top choice for summers gardens and pots is the colorful dahlia. The dahlia tubers planted in early summer will produce rich colorful blooms until the first fall frost. The compact dahlia is an excellent choice for container planting.
Geraniums are also an easy summer plant. These colorful, full-sun loving plants grow equally well in the garden or in pots as long as they are regularly watered and fertilized.
Think ahead for your fall and spring garden. Bulbs should be planted in mid-summer to ensure fabulous blooms in the fall. Late summer is the time to plant bulbs that will liven up the landscape in your spring garden.
How
to Seed Bare Spots And Thin Areas - Provided by Scotts
Summer heat and drought usually cause thin brown spots in
the lawn. Luckily, fall is the best time to seed and it’s
EASY! Follow these simple
steps and you’ll have a thick, green lawn.
