Now is the time to do summer pruning to remove unwanted dense growth or excessive shading. This will also increase light exposure that leads to better fruit color.
Pears are ready to be harvested. Pick pears before they are fully ripe on the tree when they are at a maximum size but are still pale green. Place several of pears in a paper bag to ripen them quicker.
Replace spent annuals annuals with fall blooming plants such as Cabbage, Kale, or beautiful Fall Mums.
Insect
When using any of the products listed below follow the manufactures directions and apply when temperatures are above 60 degrees to maximize effectiveness.
Most insects have finished feeding for the year and are in the adult stage. They are dormant, but will become active again in the fall for mating purposes. Applying insecticides for most pests is not cost effective at this time; however you shoul dbe prepared to apply them in the fall.
Preventative:
Readheaded pine sawfly, which is a yellow caterpillar with black spots and a red colored head, will begin appearing soon. Begin looking for this insect now. Mugo pine is target for this insect. If spotted on your plant material treat with either Bonide’s All Seasons Oil or a Neem based product such as Bon-Neem.
Watch for Colorado Potato Beetle, MExican Bean Beetle, and Tomato Hornworm. By now, the Hornworm is quite large.
Active:
Lacebugs are active now. Hosts include azaleas, andromeda, rhododendron, and others. The eggs are on the undersides of leaves or in the shoots. They can be controlled with Bonide’s All Seasons Oilor Monterey Garden Insect Control when applied to the entire plant, due to the feeding habit on the underside of the leaves.
Scale insects are active now and have a wide range of hosts from hemlocks to peaches and pines to yews. Systemic products like Ortho’s Systemic Insect Killer can be applied to the soil for control. Also, contact sprays like oil sprays like Bonide’s All Seasons Oil or Neem oil based products like Bonide’s Bon-Neem work well to help control this insect.
Warm season mites (Spider Mites) are active now and can be controlled by using Bonide’s All Seasons Oil to suppress their damage.
Japanese Beetles are emerging and their numbers will increase well into August. This pest has a wide host range and can defoliate plant material quickly if not treated. Use Japanese Beetle Spray by Bonide to help control the insects and their damage.
Taxus Mealybug, which attacks most yews, is active and feeding now. It can be mistaken as a scale at first galnce but it is not. These insects can be treated with Bonide’s All Seasons Oilspray.
Bronze birch borer adults begin to emerge from weakened birch trees late this month and next month. This pest can not harm healthy birches; it seeks out for weakened birches that have been through a drought period or have been injured by lawn mowers or trim liners. Use Bonide Borer-Miner Killer as a systemic to help suppress the potential for getting this insect if you believe your birch trees are stressed.
Rose black spot occurs as dark brown to black, rounded spots on leaves and canes. Throughout the growing season repeated black spots infect the new foliage and canes during wet periods. Eventually the leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely from the rose. Grow roses in an area where there is good air circulaion and sunlight for rapid leaf drying. Water the soil around the rose and try not to get the leaves wet or water early in the day so the leaves can dry quickly. Fungicides like Bonide’s Captan will help minimize the damage.
Signs of powdery mildew should be present this month. Be advised powdery mildew does not permanently injure the plants. The disease is more aesthetically displeasing than anything. Bonide’s Infuse should assist in the reduction of the disease, but will not remedy the problem completely.
Pear rust appears as bright orange spots on the surface on leaves and is active and can be treated with Bonide’s Infuse if caught early enough.
Oak leaf blister is out on red, white, and pin oaks as brittle, brown raised spots/blotches. This disease is not a large problem however can be treated come next spring with Bonide’s Infuse, which is systemic and is taken up by the roots.
Flower/Vegetable Garden
Do you know about ‘Apache War Dance’ , ‘Catherine Neil’ , ‘Pardon Me’ , and ‘Raspberry Wine’ daylillies? Enhance your blooming season in your garden by planting them or other similar varieties.
Scarlet lily beetle which have a bright scarlet body and black legs the larvae resemble slugs with swollen orange, brown, yellowish or even greenish bodies and black heads is now mating and laying eggs. If you see the larvae you can treat with one of the following, Safer’s Bio-Nem, Bonide’s Bon-Neem or Organica’s K-Neem (toxic to bees, however if applied correctly you can avoid bee injury). The neem oil based products kill larvae and repel the adults and are most efective when applied early in the insect life cycle.
Aphids have been active this month and can be treated with a spinosad product like Monterey Garden Insect Spray or Neem based products which should be applied as needed due to the possibility of reinfestation.
Apply Schultz’s Bloom Plus to stimulate an increase in flower production.
Using 2-3 inches of mulch around borders of gardens and landscapes will help suppress weed growth and will also help with water retention during the summer months.
Harvest season is here! Harvest often when your veggies are at their pinnacle. Pick cucumbers, summer squash, and bush beans several times a week to keep them productive and to get high quality vegetables.
Fill in empty spots with vegetables that mature less than sixty days. Plant lettuce or Asian Greens by seeding now. Carrots and beats will be ready to harvest in October and November. Before re-planting, apply compost to replenish your soil.
Onions, shallots, and garlic will be ready to harvest when the tops begin to turn brown. Cure them on newspaper for a few weeks in a warm, well-ventilated and dry location out of direct sun. Cut the tops off and do not store until the necks of the vegetables are dry, especially if long-term storage is desired. Store them in a cool, dry location somewhere in your house or property.
Use B.T. (Thuricide) on Hormworms and Corm Earworms. Hornworms are prevalent at this time of the year and can stip tomato branches in one night. Look for large green pellets on the ground at the base of the plant. Corn Earworms can be prevented on corn by applying Thurcide on the silks on ears of corn. Repeat applications of B.T. every five days until the silks have dried. Remember, always READ the label for use and application.
Prevent Blossom-end Rot on tomatoes by applying three inches of cleam mulch. Water deeply and evenly; use a soaker hose if you do not have enough time to stay and water.
Prune raspberry and blackberry after harvest. Harvest Grapes as they become ripe. They will not ocntinue to ripen off the vine.
Sow seeds of cool season crops like lettuce, beets, carrots, and bok choi for fall. Turn some organic matter and a light dressing of fertilizer (Espoma Garden Tone) in the areas of your garden that have been harvested already. Warm soils will promote quick germination and vegetables will be ready to pick by October.
Turf
Apply a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen like Greenview Greenpower 30-4-4 once a year or Espoma Organic Lawn Food twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall to help create a nice green lush lawn.
Bayer’s Grub Control is a product that can be applied once a year for continuous control of grubs.
Bayer Powerforce, a broad range insect control product, can be applied now and is a great substitute for Diazinon.
Mow lawns at two to three inches in height for the rest of the growing season. Check mower blades and make sure they are sharp.
Pond Care
Continue feeding the fish using Tetra PondCare Floating Pond Sticks with high protein formulated for water temps about 65 degrees during a time of rapid growth and high activity.
Add some hyacinths and water lettuce to aid in tihe reduction of algae growth.
Hardy marginals and tropical marginals should be placed in the pond carefully and the water level should be just over the lip of the pot, if the plant is in deeper water the plant could rot and would not be beneficial to the pond.
Any new fish you add to your pond should not be left in the baag. THey can be put right in the pond, the reason you would float the bag is for adjusting fish to the ponds water temperature if it is drastically different.
Accent lighting around the pond can be aesthetically pleasing during summer time outings and barbeques. It can be easily installed and some products are solar powered.
