Biennial seeds can be started now for flowers next year. Annuals can be planted
from seeds or starts. Fertilize regularly to keep them healthy and blooming.
Planting a few perennials in bloom each month will insure continuous flowers in your
yard.
Vegetables: Sow a second planting of beets, radishes and carrots. Cabbage, broccoli
and lettuce can be planted in a cooler, partly shaded area for a late crop. Regular
even watering reduces bitter lettuce, hard carrots and blossom end rot on tomatoes.
Fertilizing tomatoes with bone meal also prevents blossom end rot.
Lawn Care
Set mowing heght to 2 to 3 inches. Taller lawns need less water and fertilizer to
keep them green. Mulch the grass clippings back into the lawn to build up the soil
and reduce fertilizer needs.
Water the lawn deeply to encourage a deeper root system. A deep watering two or three
times a week is much better than watering every day. Put tuna or pet food cans around
the lawn, and shut off the sprinklers before the cans overflow. Lawns need an inch of water
each week during average summer temperatures, more during hot weather.
Trees and Shrubs
Spread compost or bark mulch an inch deep around trees and shrubs, but don't cover
lower branches. This conserves water by cooling the soil and discouraging weeds.
Most trees and shrubs prefer deep watering once a week.
Pruning
Pinch back mums, impatiens, dahlias and leggy plants to keep them compact.
Remove suckers and water sprouts on trees. Plucking them off when they are soft is
much easier than cutting them off later, and they are less likely to re-sprout.
Spraying
Continue to spray for leaf spot diseases as long as rainy weather continues.
Spray deciduous azaleas with Daconil every two weeks to prevent powdery mildew.
Spray rhododendrons twice a month through August for root weevils if the leaves have
notches on the edges.
Watch for aphids and other insects. Spray when insects are causing damage.
