Gardening
Guidelines for summer gardening
Keith Hansen Smith County Horticulturist

The hot, steamy days of summer are upon us.

For gardeners, that means there are important tasks to do, like planting, weeding, and keeping an eye out for pests.

Lawns Care. The abundant recent rains are helping lawns recover from the drought of the last two years. Yet, constantly wet grass could also fall victim to lawn disease. Hotter weather promotes faster growth, so keep up with the mowing so you don't have to bag the clippings.

That may mean mowing more frequently, every five or six days instead of every seven to 10 days.

Let the clippings fall back into the lawn to recycle nutrients and keep the mower blade sharp. Mowing frequently at the correct height will promote a healthy, thick turf resistant to weeds.

For St. Augustine or Bermuda lawns that are making poor growth thus far this year, make a second application of fertilizer.

For best results, use a fertilizer with a high percentage of nitrogen in the slow- release form so the grass won't grow quite so rapidly.

But, be careful to not apply too much fertilizer.

A wet, hot June, coupled with lushly growing grass from high rates of nitrogen combine to promote Grey Leaf Spot, a fungal disease of St. Augustine grass.

This disease causes yellowing and in severe cases, severe thinning of the turf, especially in shady areas or in low spots that tend to stay wet.

If your St. Augustine is already thick and rapidly growing, skip the summer application.

It is important you know how large your lawn is so you know how much fertilizer to apply. Check the bag for recommendations.

Typical application rates for common fertilizer analysis might be 5 pounds of 21-7-14 per 1000 square feet, or 6 pounds of 15-5-10 per 1000 square feet. Do not exceed these rates.

Centipede lawns do not need to be fertilized at this time. Wait until fall for the next application.

As spring rains slack off and give way to drier days, apply supplemental water as needed. The rule of thumb is to water enough to wet the soil 6 inches deep.

Do not water too frequently. Shallow watering promotes a shallow root system that is more susceptible to the stress of summer heat and winter cold.

And frequent watering can promote disease.

Landscape Plants. The best way to conserve moisture in the landscape is by mulching.

Pine bark, pine needles, cypress bark, composted grass clippings and shredded leaves are excellent mulching materials.

A three to four inch layer over the root zone retains moisture, keeping the soil cooler.

And, a good layer of mulch helps prevent weed seeds from germinating under your shrubs, trees and flowers.

Summer Color. June is a great month for setting out colorful summer annuals. For large areas, directly seed zinnias, cosmos, gomphrena or portulaca.

There are many types of annuals that can set out now as transplants including marigold, salvia, gaillardia, vinca, purslane, dusty miller, ageratum, amaranthus, cuphea, gomphrena, celosia, Texas bluebells, cockscomb, and trailing petunias.

Look for Tidal Wave Silver or Tidal Wave Cherry petunias, two varieties designated as Texas Superstars for their superior heat tolerance and landscape performance.

Plant copper plants now in a sunny spot for a beautiful display this fall.

Color for shady areas include caladiums, coleus, impatiens and bedding begonias. Try nicotiana, Salvia splendens and coleus in partial shade.

Many nurseries now have a great supply of perennials to brighten the summer garden. Look for perennial hibiscus, canna, daylilies (select now for the color you want), yarrow, summer phlox, salvias, perennial lantana, montbretia, rudbeckia and purple coneflower.

Plant mums now for fall bloom. Pinch back established mums, along with other fall bloomers like Mexican mint marigold, Mexican Bush Sage, and autumn asters to encourage compactness.

Water transplants before you plant and then again afterwards.

The soil should be well-prepared and well-drained. Apply a diluted solution of water-soluble fertilizer at planting and then regularly once they begin to put on new growth. Remove faded blooms to encourage new growth and repeated bloom. A layer of mulch will conserve water and prevent weeds.

Roses. Be sure to mulch your rose beds to conserve moisture and keep down summer weeds. Continue a routine spray program to control blackspot, and spray as needed to control insects and mites. Remove flowers as they fade and feed regularly to encourage new blooms.

Azaleas. Apply a four to six inch layer of pine needles or other mulch to conserve water around these shallow-rooted shrubs. Feed them very lightly with a complete fertilizer to produce new growth. Watch out for lace bugs which feed on the underside of leaves. Their piercing and sucking causes the leaves to look stippled and bleached or bronzed.

Vegetables. Insects and diseases can show up on many of our garden crops at this time. Before taking any action, accurately identify the problem, and if it is a pest, then find a product that is specific for that particular crop and pest.

If the crop is not on the label of a particular product, then do not use that product. Always carefully read the label directions and precautions which are there for the safety of you and your plants. Take note of any harvest waiting period for the crop.

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Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension. His web page is http://EastTexasGarden ing.tamu.edu