Summer Care for Lawns, Perennials, and Shrubs

**General Notes for Lecture at the Natural Gardener 7-2-2024**

Water and Heat

People

  • Avoid heat of the day
  • Protect from sun
  • Stay Hydrated
  • Heat stroke signs – thirst, headache, profuse sweating, muscle cramps, rapid heartbeat, nausea, irritability, dizziness, light-headedness, or loss of coordination

Plants

  • Heat stress signs – plants
  • Flagging, or wilting
  • Washed out color
  • Lack of Bounce
  • Brown edges and yellowing – tricky
  • Nutrient deficiency 

Irrigation

  • Test coverage and amount to fine tune irrigation – moisture 5”-10” below ground 
  • Restrictions – weekly – morning and evening
  • Mornings – shady areas, low air movement, lawns with fungal history
  • Evenings – open areas, lots of air movement, lawns with no fungal history
  • Slopes – do both 
  • Wells?

Soil

  • Water retention – soil texture and compost
  • Compost tea improves soil 
  • Mulch – at least one inch of mulch – not river rock – not granite 
  • Do not pile it up at the base of the trunk – check trees and shrubs and pull back soil/mulch if climbing trunk

Fertilizing

  • Lawns – St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bermudagrass 4-2-2 or even 8-2-4
  • Native lawns do not need fertilizer, and more often dislike it
  • Perennials and shrubs – Seaweed soil drench (lawns too) – improves plant immune system Ca and K help with uptake
  • Natives? It depends

Weed Control 

  •  weeds compete for water and can attract pests and disease
  • Corn gluten anytime – especially after weeding
  • Landscape grade vinegar

Pest and Disease Control

  • DE – physical contact – non-discriminant – chinch bugs
  • Spinosad – fire ants, aphids, thrips,mealybugs, scale, spider mites, whiteflies
  • Deadly to bees when wet – avoid application during activity – late evening at sunset best
  • Sluggo 
  • Too hot for neem or any other oil
  • Too hot for nematodes broad application
  •  – grubs June 
  • – fire ants March and October – or mound drench anytime

Pruning

  • Dead, damaged, diseased
  • Deadhead

Planting

  • Annuals – pentas, zinnias, portulaca, purslane
  • Last chance for Halloween pumpkins

Planning

  • Summer is excellent time to create a landscape plan for the fall and even begin prep and hardscaping

Solarization

  • 4-6 weeks of high heat so Start Soon
  • 4 mil clear plastic
  • Manual removal (turn soil), water (or vinegar if bermudagrass), cover
  • Repeat every 2 weeks