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Trees and Shrubs
When to prune? That's always a pressing question. The rule is:
if a shrub blooms before June 1, prune it after the flowers have
faded. If it is summer flowering, prune before the last expected
frost date.
For other flowering things (such as climbing roses) use sharp pruners, and prune
hard to remove:
 any broken bits
canes that are rubbing against their neighbors
spindly and unattractively small (smaller than pencil-sized) canes
any old canes that don't look like they'll be producing anything new
or exciting ever again.
Concerning
Annuals and
Perennials
It's not too
late to plant begonias, petunias, portulaca, verbenas, zinnias,
dahlias, cosmos and pentas, but do it quickly before it gets into
the real heat of summer.
Vinca is a
good and faithful bedding plant for Coastal gardens, and often self-seeds
profusely. Be careful not to aim too much irrigation
spray right at their beds, as that can promote fungus.
Lawns
Make sure your
mower blades are kept sharp. Dull blades can lead to torn rather
than shorn grass, which is more susceptible to disease and insect
damage.
Also mow at
the proper height, which is as follows for our most common turf
grasses:
Centipede: 1.5 - 2 inches
St. Augustine: 2.5 - 4
inches
Zoysia: 1-2 inches
Hybrid Bermuda: 0.5 - 1.5 inches
Vegetables!
Consider this
figure: A $70 investment in vegetable gardening averages
a $600 return. And the rewards are greater than merely monetary.
You know where
your produce comes from and what is on it.
You know how
fresh it is.
It's easier to walk out to your backyard and pick tomatoes
than to drive to the store.
You'll feel good about yourself when you harvest.
Vegetable gardening is something the whole family can enjoy together.
Kids love picking things.
Composting
Keep on composting to utilize
kitchen scraps and produce the best fertilizer possible for your garden the
next season. You can add it as mulch around plants or work it into any bed as you prepare it, and
worms, those excellent composters, love it. For good instructions
on starting and maintaining a compost operation, look here.
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