Its tooooo Hot !!!
Hot and dry defines the next two months for us so watering and plant care is essential. Try to remember that you will have much better success by watering for longer periods of time less often. this promotes deep watering and deep roots. We suggest a spicket timer and a sprinkler instead of hand watering. With deep watering for an hour at a time you should develope deep roots for both your lawn and your landcsape gardens.
Lawn: Start killing unwanted bermuda grass now for fall reseeding. Continue to mow your grass even if it only cuts a small amount. Long grass blades ask for too much water from an already tired root system. I also recomend actually lowering your mower blade down one more knotch this month to help ease the burden on the roots. U.T. says this as well.
Perennials: keep an eye on perennials as they are soon forgotten after they bloom. Allowing them to dry out may cause them to not return the following year.
Lawns: Maintain fescue lawns at 3 inches. No fertilization or weed prevention at this time. Overseeding lawns at this time is not a good idea.
Pruning: It is still o.k. to prune back holly and other evergreen trees and shrubs this time of year.
Christmas: Picking a Christmas tree can be fun but also very tricky. Quick tips for buying a tree. 1. Measure the area that you wish to place the tree before you go ex. Christmas Vacation 2. Fresh trees don't drop needles, check branches 3. Have the folks at the tree store cut off at least 2" of the trunk so that it will absorb water. 4. Put your tree up within three hours of the fresh cut 5. fill base with water and check every day 6. After the tree stops absorbing water keep a close eye on it as it will dry out very fast 7. Recycle your tree instead of sending it to a land fill.
Outside In: Pruning plants to decorate your home inside. Magnolia, holly, nandina, rhododendron, dogwood, juniper, hydrangea and my favorite otto luken laurel can be used. Keep extras outside in a pile for later use. Spray painting branches different colors to blend with your intereior also a good touch. Check your fresh greenery as it will probably need to be swapped out mid season.
February is here...and that means getting ready for Spring. Below are a few things to keep in mind for this month so you can get the most from your landscape.
Out of site out of mind. Being indoors during the winter months makes it hard to remember that spring will be here before we know it. Plan now for February startups.
March is here...and Spring is almost upon us. Below are a few things to keep in mind for this month so you can get the most from your landscape.
Lawns : Continue to mow your lawn several times this month to thicken new grass. Maintain your fescue lawns at 3 inches. There is no need to fertilize your lawns this month, but be sure to remove heavy leaf fall as it they can smother even dormant grass.
Bulbs Bulbs Bulbs this is the month to plant. Daffodil work best for our area as they tend return each season. Tulips are not nearly as faithful. Make sure and coordinate pansie colors with your bulbs as they will be a great show the first of spring. Quick bulb tips1. prepare soil well 2. Plant at proper depth 3. Lime beds once per year 4. keep bulbs cool before planting 5. fertilize bulbs as soon as the flower dies 6. never cut off the leaves until the bulbs turn yellow
Plantings: It is still a great time for planting Trees, Shrubs, Perennials etc...
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Annuals: All summer annuals should be removed by now and fall pansies put in. I do not recommend mums except for parties and porch decor. They tend to be too much work in our landscapes.
Lawns: This is the time to rebuild your lawn from a long hot summer. Start with a good aeration. You will have to wait until the ground is moist which may be a challenge in October. Overseed and fertilize soon after you aerate for best results. Water Water Water October is our driest month so watering is a must for good new growth.
Planting beds: Go ahead and freshen up your mulch or pine straw as you see a need this fall season. Remember to not let your mulch get any thicker than 3 inches.
New Plantings: Fall is the season to plant all your trees and shrubs. Especially if you want to have your plantings established before next summers heat arrives.
General Notes for The Garden:
Watering: Keep a close eye on watering new plants as September and October are usualy our driest months. Always water longer and less often to promote deep rooting. I recomend a sprinkler with a timer and to soak large areas for an hour on each section once a week.
Planting: Annuals: It is time to bring on the pansies as we approach the end of this month. I know it is hard to remove your annuals that look so good this time of year but pansies need at least two months to root in well before cold winter temperatures arrive.
Mulching: It is fine to mulch lightly but remember never more than three inches and let the leaves fall first.
Pruning : This is not the best month to prune trees or shrubs as they are usually stressed from summer. Light pruning anytime will work in our area.
Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs: Not at this time.
Lawn Care: September 15th is the magic day that we can begin overseeding of our tall fescue lawns. Aerate after a good rain and overseed at a rate of 5 pounds per 1000 square feet. Also apply a good fall starter fertilizer at the recommended rate. It is also time to raise the mowing height back to 3-3 1/2" to rebuild roots for next summers drought.
