August Task List for Dependable Gardens We are entering the hottest time of the year so carefully monitor the watering needs of your lawn, trees, shrubs, and vegetable garden. It is especially important to watch new plantings as their root system isn’t as well developed and can be easily stressed in the heat. Adding a 2 inch layer of mulch around the plants will cool the soil and decrease water loss. The beginning of each month is a good time to make sure your automatic sprinklers are operating properly. Turn each station on and walk around, visually checking each head to be sure it is in good working order with adequate coverage. One broken or clogged head can quickly lead to dead patches in your lawn or severely distressed trees and shrubs. Signs of watering stress include: ‘graying’ of color in lawns or outright browning; wilting leaves on trees and shrubs; browning on the edges of leaves; yellowing or early fall coloration; dead twigs; dry root balls or container soils from planting soil differences. On a summer evening an outside barbeque will attract friends but also yellow-jackets and hornets. While these insects are beneficial and help control other insect pests, no one likes to be stung. Hang a trap at one end of your patio and picnic area to limit their uninvited presence. As mentioned in July, continue to check for spider mites in your conifers, especially Alberta spruce and junipers. Needles will take on an unhealthy, grayish cast and very fine webbing may be present. Shake a branch over a piece of white paper and look for very tiny black or red specks that are moving. For prevention, periodically spray these plants off with water — mites thrive in dusty environments, or apply a systemic or contact miticide. If leaf edges on your shrubs appear to have been chewed, you’ve probably had a nocturnal visit from a black vine weevil. While irritating, the damage to the leaves is mostly cosmetic — it’s the larvae in the soil that is doing the most damage by eating the roots. Apply a sprinkling of Bayer Grub Control around the base of any damaged or susceptible shrubs. Field bindweed is an unfortunate problem in our area. Bright green twining stems with arrowhead-shaped leaves and white flowers aggressively invade our lawns and planting beds. Pulling alone is not effective as it readily regenerates from even small pieces of the root. Applying Round-up or a broadleaf weed killer whenever leaves appear along with pulling out as much of the root system will slowly bring bindweed under control. Be patient but persistent— it can be done but it will take a while.

Privacy Statement   |   Site Map   |   Credits

Designed & Powered by

Eagles Consulting, Inc.