Archive for the ‘Flowers’ Category

Happy July

It is our prayer that everyone have a safe holiday with family and friends.
Summer is here. Amongst the weed pulling and watering you need to make sure you work on these tasks in the early morning or early evening when the temperature is not so hot.

LAWN CARE

>Fertilize your lawn with an application of fertilizer this month. Make sure you water it into the soil after you have removed any overspread from your walks and patios.

> Remember to water in the morning to prevent disease problems. How do you know how much water you have applied? You can place several small containers with a flat bottom (such as an old margarine tub or tuna can) in your garden beds and lawn. Then measure the amount of water in the cans.

GARDEN CARE

> Your flowers, shrubs, trees, and vegetables need at least an inch of water a week. Pots, especially will dry out quickly in the heat. Check your containers daily.

> Make sure your lawn or plants are well watered before applying fertilizers, fungicides, or insecticides. Apply them in the early morning before the temperature reaches 80 degrees. This will allow the plants to dry before the temperature reaches 85 degrees. It is best not to spray when the temperature is above 85 degrees or if the pants are stressed from lack of water.

> Continue to deadhead annuals and perennials, this will encourage a longer bloom.

> Quit pinching back your mums, mid-July. Flowers will begin to bloom about 5 or 6 weeks after your last pinching. If you haven’t been pinching your mums, cut them back by half in early July and fertilize them. This will help your mums to grow bushier and delay bloom until later in the summer.

> You can still plant summer blooming perennials and shrubs, just make sure you give them a little extra TLC. Do your shopping at Gurneys while it is hot. Planting in the evening or on a cloudy day when the temperatures are cooler gives the plant a better chance to settle in before being hit with the heat and light of a typical July day. Make sure you keep newly planted flowers and shrubs well watered. Drought tolerant plants need to be treated the same way until they get established.

Planting vinca after pansies has been a long time problem. The main disease that affects pansies and vinca is Phytophthora parasitica. The fungus enters the plant at the soil line mostly in warm wet conditions.

This can be passed on to vinca thru the soil. The crown turns soft, watery, and greenish-brown killing the whole plant. There is another soilborne fungus Thielaviopsis basicola called Black Root Rot. The fungus is found across the southern part of the United States in a wide variety of temperatures.

Proper application of fungicides may control Pythium or Phytophthora root rot. Root diseases can be minimized by not planting vinca directly after the pansies are finished. Root fungus thrives when the plants have poor drainage, are over watered, and over fertilized. It is better to wait a year and use another plant along with a fungicide to control
root funguses.

An application of fludioxonil, iprodione, PCNB, thiophanate methyl or triflumizole in a drench will help to reduce spread of the disease from pansies to vinca. Always fungicides apply according to the directions
on the label.