summer

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

Lawn Care

FERTILIZE

Organic fertilizers such as Milorganite and Medina Growin Green are excellent fertilizers that feed plants and soil and are the best choice during hot, dry periods.

LAY NEW SOD

Lay new sod anytime, and Bermuda seed anytime this month.

FIX YELLOW SPOTS

Apply organic Nature’s Blend, or conventional Hi Yield Iron Plus to yellow spots in lawn.

MOW

Mow as required. Keep St. Augustine cut to about 3”, Bermuda at 1”– 2”.

WATER

Water well every 7 days.

Read: Summer is Here, Time to Resume Watering

WATCH OUT FOR PESTS

Watch for Chinch Bugs and Grub Worms.

Read: Check for Chinch Bugs if Your Lawn Looks Dry Even Though You Know It’s Not!

Plant

All container grown trees, shrubs, and vines

It’s prime time to plant tropicals such as hibiscus, bougainvillea, ginger and palms.

Late spring and summer color

Zinnias, periwinkles, purslane, moss rose, gomphrena, lantana, ruellia, penta, caladiums, coleus, and more

Seeds

Sunflowers, morning glory, zinnias, and gomphrena.

Pepper and Tomato Seeds

Start seeds of peppers and tomatoes in containers to transplant in the garden in August.

Indoor Plants

Add plants to your indoor spaces to create a fresh air relaxing atmosphere.

Feed your houseplants to keep them healthy and looking their best. Hasta Gro works wonders. So does Plant Tone. And Worm Castings provide an amazing boost for houseplants too!

Houseplants that are happy & healthy will produce baby plants that are easily removed and transplanted to another container. A great way to increase your collection and share with your friends.

Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air

Read: Indoor Gardening: EZ as a ZZ!

Fertilize

ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS

Organic: Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro or Plant Tone

Conventional: Miracle Gro or Osmocote Time Release Granules

HIBISCUS AND TROPICAL BLOOMERS

Organic: Maestro Gro-Rose Glo

Conventional: Hibiscus Food

TREES AND SHRUBS

Organic: Milorganite, or Medina Growin Green

All granular fertilizer should be watered in well.

Read: A Few More Summer Tips

Prune

Dead wood from trees and shrubs

Faded blooms to encourage new blooms – especially important on perennials, tropicals, and crape myrtles

Shrubs to maintain good form

Palms, if needed

Watch out For

CATERPILLARS

Watch for caterpillars or their damage (chewed leaves).

Organic: Thuricide, Spinosad

Conventional: Cyonara

FUNGUS, POWDERY MILDEW

Organic: Neem Oil, BeeSafe 3-in-1

Conventional: Broad Spectrum Fungicide, Fertilome Systemic

WHITEFLIES

Organic: Spinosad Soap, Bee Safe 3-in-1

Conventional: Cyonara

CHINCH BUGS IN LAWNS

Organic: Diatomaceous Earth, Spinosad

Conventional: Cyonara

MEALY BUGS

Organic: Neem Oil, Insecticidal Soap, BeeSafe 3-in-1

Conventional: Cyonara, Bonide Systemic

Read: Mealy Bugs are Here

SPIDER MITES

Organic: Neem Oil, Spinosad Soap, BeeSafe 3-in-1

Conventional: Bonide Systemic, Cyonara

FLEAS AND TICKS

Organic: Spinosad, Diatomaceous Earth

Conventional: Cyonara

BORERS

Watch for Borers in mesquites, ash, and yucca.

Organic: Spinosad

Conventional: Fertilome Tree & Shrub Drench

Water-wise Gardening

MULCH

Mulch all landscape areas with at least 2-4 inches of shredded mulch.

ADJUST MOWING

Cut your grass higher so it will not dry out as quickly.

TRIMMING & CLEANUP

Trim overgrown plants with excessive foliage so they use less water.
Remove old or unsightly plants you plan to get rid of anyway.
Repot root bound patio plants.

ADJUST IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Use your irrigation system or sprinklers once a week. You can water anytime before 10:00am or after 6:00pm. Use the Cycle Soak Method found on our website. Be sure not to let water run off onto the streets and sidewalks.

FERTILIZE

Top dress lawns with Nature Blend.
Use organic fertilizers to keep plants healthy.

WATER

Install drip irrigation around your foundation and plants for slow soaking and less water waste.

You can water anytime with a hand held hose, soaker hose or drip irrigation hose provided it is equipped with a positive shut off nozzle.

Read: Comfort for Summer: Shade Cloth

Read: Two Sprinklers, One Faucet

Prepare Your Garden Spaces for Fall Planting

Clean areas of unwanted weeds and debris.
Break up the soil and add organic matter like Cotton Burr Compost, and turn or till it in.
Mix in dried molasses and organic fertilizer like Medina Growin’ Green.
Water and let it rest until you are ready to plant.
Keep it watered to encourage beneficial microbes in the soil.

Read: Organic Gardening

Read: Comfort for Summer: Shade Cloth

Watch: A Great Trick to Green Up Your Lawn & Garden!

Read: Fall’s Around the Corner – it’s Garden Time!

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

What To Plant

Late Summer Vegetable Transplants

Plant tomato, eggplant, and pepper transplants after August 10th. Be sure to keep watered well and evenly shaded from the hot afternoon sun.

Read: Homegrown Tastes Best
Garden Guide: Fall Tomatoes

Fall Vegetable Seeds

Seeds of beans, cabbage, peas, winter squash, and turnips. Start in pots and then transplant to garden. Protect from intense heat and sun.

Pumpkin Seeds

If you want pumpkins by Halloween, plant your seeds by August 10th.

Bluebonnet Seeds

Sow bluebonnet seeds now for spring bloom.

Tropicals

All tropicals including allamandas, mandevillas, palms, pentas, blue daze, hamelia, hibiscus, esperanza, and plumbago will continue growing and blooming.

Summer Annuals

Annuals such as zinnias, moss rose, gomphrena, purslane, periwinkles, caladium and coleus will continue to flourish.

“House” Plants

Don’t forget that “house plants” are generally tropical in nature and love a nice shady or semi shady patio to put on the best show. Ficus, schefflera, corn plants, dracaenas, ivies, ponytail palms, and bromeliads all like heat and humidity.

Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air

All container grown trees, shrubs, and vines.

Garden Guide: Planting Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcovers
Read: Crape Myrtle Season

Prune

Continue removing faded flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage new blooms.

Faded blooms and seed pods from crape myrtle to promote additional blooming
Dead wood from trees and shrubs
Trim plants as needed to maintain size and shape.
Palms as needed
Poinsettias early in month – last pruning for December color

Water

Check all newly planted material for water every day.
Check pots, containers and hanging baskets often, as they dry out quickly and need more water.
Apply mulch as needed to help conserve moisture.
Make arrangements for someone to water if leaving for more than 2 days, especially with new plants.
Follow City Water Restriction Guidelines.

Fertilize

All trees and shrubs

Fertilize organically with Milorganite, Medina Growin Green, or Plant Tone.

Annuals and perennials

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, or Hasta Gro, or conventionally with Osmocote Time Release Granules.

All hibiscus and tropical bloomers

Fertilize organically with Maestro Gro-Rose Glo, or conventionally with Hibiscus Food.

All granular fertilizer should be watered in well

Lawn Care

Organic fertilizers such as Milorganite, and Medina Growin Green are excellent fertilizers that feed plants and soil and are the best choice during hot, dry periods.
Lay new sod anytime, and Bermuda seed anytime this month.
Apply organic Nature’s Blend, or conventional Hi Yield Iron Plus to yellow spots in lawn.
Mow as required. Keep St. Augustine cut to about 3”, Bermuda at 1” – 2”.
Watch for Chinch Bugs and Grub Worms.
Water well every 7 to 10 days.

Read: Use the Cycle Soak Method
Garden Guide: Lawn Care

Watch Out For

Mealy bugs

Treat organically with Neem Oil, Spinosad Soap, or Bee Safe 3-in-1 or conventionally with Cyonara or Bonide Systemic.

Read: Mealy Bugs are Here!

Chinch bugs in lawns

Treat organically with Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth, or conventionally with Cyonara.

Spider mites

Treat organically with Neem Oil, Spinosad Soap, or Bee Safe 3-in-1 or conventionally with Cyonara or Bonide Systemic.

Note: Spraying your plants with seaweed extract helps repel spider mites, and it’s good for your plants too!

Fleas and ticks

Treat lawns organically with Spinosad, or Diatomaceous Earth, or conventionally with Cyonara.

Borers in mesquites, ash, and yucca

Treat organically with Spinosad.

Fungus, Powdery Mildew

Treat organically with Fungicide 5, Neem Oil, or Bee Safe 3 in 1, or with Fertilome Broad Spectrum Fungicide, or Systemic Fungicide.

Unwanted caterpillars – remember that many caterpillars turn into the butterflies that we love and enjoy!

If necessary, treat organically with Thuricide or Spinosad.

Read: Darn Those Summer Bugs!

Plant

September is vegetable and seed month.

There are numerous selections of vegetables to be started in the garden or in containers. Come in and pick up our fall vegetable guide.

Tomatoes & Peppers

Tomatoes and peppers can be planted through the middle of the month.

Planting Guide: Our Tomato Varieties
Read: New! Grape Tomato ‘Ruby Crush’
Read: Fall Tomatoes

Herbs

A large selection of herbs will be ready to add spice to your garden.
Garden Guide: Herbs

Bluebonnets & Other Wildflowers, Nasturtiums & Fall Marigolds

Plant by seed or transplants.

Read: Fall is Wildflower Time!, Benefits of Marigolds in Your Veggie Garden, Nasturtiums – Super Pretty & Easy (Yummy Too!)

Don’t plant pansies or snapdragons until temperatures have cooled down!

There is still time to add quick summer color such as zinnias, coleus, purslane, moss rose and periwinkles.
Read: Success with Fall Flowers, Best Tips of Planting Trees This Fall, Organic Gardening, Fuel For Your Hungry Hummers

Fertilize

Tropicals

We recommend organic Maestro Rose Glo, or conventional Hibiscus Food

Vegetables

We recommend organic Medina Growin’ Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo or Plant Tone, or conventional Hi Yield Ammonium Sulphate.

Roses

We recommend organic Maestro Rose Glo.

Poinsettias

We recommend organic Maestro Rose Glo or Hasta Gro.

Blooming Annuals and Perennials

We recommend Organic: Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro or Maestro Rose Glo, or conventional Hibiscus Food.

All plants that are especially stressed, or recently transplated

We recommend organic Hasta Gro Organic Fertilizer or Super Thrive

Christmas Cactus

We recommend organic Hasta Gro.

Read: How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom!
Read: It's Time to Fertilize For Fall!

Prune

Continue removing faded flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage new blooms.
Faded blooms and seedpods from crape myrtles to promote additional blooming.
Rule of thumb for fall pruning is no more than 1/3. Wait until January for heavy cutbacks.

Read: Sharp Tools for Fall Pruning!

Lawns

Apply organic Nature's Blend or Peat Moss for lawns, or conventional F-Stop granules as a preventative to brown patch fungus, which shows up as temperatures drop during fall and winter months.

Watch: Brown Patch Fungus

Apply organic Nature's Blend, Peat Moss or conventional Hi Yield Iron Plus to yellowing lawns.

Apply Nature’s Blend, Peat Moss, or Scotts Disease Ex to lawns prone to Take All Patch Fungus.

Continue to water deeply every 1 to 2 weeks if little rainfall.

Wait to apply fall fertilizer until October!

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

Water

Check all newly planted material for water every day.
Check pots, containers and hanging baskets often as they dry out quickly and need more water.
Apply mulch as needed to help conserve moisture.
Make arrangements for someone to water if leaving for more than 2 days, especially with new plants.
Follow City Guidelines.

Read: Summer Watering 101

Weed Control

Spray only growing weeds with Captain Jacks Deadweed Brew or Horticultural Vinegar. These products kill all vegetation; so protect plants from drift or over spray.

Apply organic Corn Gluten meal, or Weed and Grass Stopper with Dimension in the fall and spring to prevent seeds from sprouting. It will not control already growing weeds.

Weed B Gon or Image can be applied once we cool down into the 80’s temps. An organic option is Captain Jack’s Lawn Weed Brew.

Watch For

Masses of worms eating your oak tree.

Treat with organic Spinosad or Thuricide, or conventional Cyonara. Read: Oak Tree Caterpillars

White Flies on tropicals and perennials, especially lantana and hibiscus.

Treat with organic Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil, Spinosad Soap, Bee Safe 3-in-1 Spray, or conventional Cyonara or a long acting drench like Fertilome Tree & Shrub

Watch: Yucky Whitefly

Fleas and Ticks

Treat lawns with organic Spinosad, or Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer, or conventional Cyonara

Mealy Bugs

Treat with organic Bee Safe 3-in-1 Spray or Insecticidal Soap or Spinosad Soap, or conventional Cyonara, or Bonide Systemic Liquid or Granule

Read: Mealy Bugs are Here!

Caterpillars or their damage (chewed leaves).

Spray organically with Spinosad or Thuricide.

Read: Not All Caterpillars are Bad!

Mosquitoes

Use Mosquito Beater Liquid for quick kill or Mosquito Beater Granules to repel.

Read: Mosquito Solutions

Note: Please, Please, Please, don’t kill the bees!

They are one of the best sources we have to pollinate our fruits, vegetables, flowers, and shrubs.

Plant

Flowers from Seed

Carnations, larkspur, nasturtium, petunias, poppy

Garden Guide: Planting Fall & Winter Annuals

Flowers from Transplant

Pansies, petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale, geraniums

Hardy Trees, Shrubs and Vines

The roots of hardy plants grow during our cool months even though their leaves may be changing color or falling from their branches. This provides a better root system so they thrive in spring and can survive the long, hot summer. Live oaks, magnolia, cedar elm, hawthorns, holly, sage, junipers, roses, just to name a few, are winter hardy and would be appropriate to plant now. Read more: Plant Hardy Trees And Shrubs Now

Garden Guide: Planting Trees, Shrubs & Groundcovers, Roses

Veggies from Seed

Beets, cabbage (all types), carrots, chard, lettuce, mustard, onions, peas, radish, spinach and turnips

Christmas cactus is one of nature’s gifts for those who are gardening challenged. Just keep them dry and in very filtered light. How’s that for easy?

A beautiful holiday plant, the Christmas Cactus blooms at Christmas and also sometimes around Easter if cared for properly. Keep the plant in a well lit location (like near a window) away from direct sunlight-too much heat and light can stunt the growth and burn the leaves. It should also be away from drafts, heat vents, or other sources of hot air. Feel the soil with your fingers; if it is dry, it’s time to water thoroughly. Before watering again, check to see that the top inch of soil has dried thoroughly first. Mist leaves as well as watering the soil.

Fall bulbs like paper whites and amaryllis, will make a spectacular show this winter and now is the time to plant them.

Paperwhite Narcissus
1. Refrigerate for 4-6 weeks prior to planting.
(plant around Thanksgiving for holiday blooms!)
2. Fill a clear vase with a few inches of pea gravel.
3. Nestle bulbs side by side into the gravel.
4. Add water up to the bottom of the bulb and
place near a sunny window.

Amaryllis
Plant in a pot or in the ground. If planting in the ground, place in morning sun and afternoon shade. Every three years in October, you can dig up and divide these bulbs as they multiply underground! Feed regularly with Hi-Yield Bone Meal every 4-6 weeks.

Indoor Plants

Bring fresh air and interest indoors. Houseplants like schefflera, sanseveria, pothos ivy, & philodendrons bring a clean organic feel to your home. While you move plants in from outdoor areas, be sure to check for insects and treat if needed.

Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air

Poinsettias indoors do best in cool dry areas with indirect light. An easy way to water them is with a few ice cubes every few days. Read: Poinsettia Care

Fertilize

BEDDING PLANTS
Fertilize organically with Hastagro, Medina Growin Green, or Milorganite, or conventionally with Osmocote Time Release 14-14-14.
Do not fertilize TROPICALS this month. They need to rest.

LAWN

If you didn’t fertilize your lawn in October or November, instead of applying a chemical fertilizer, we recommend you use an organic fertilizer such as Medina Growin Green or Milorganite. These products feed the grass & soil microbes slowly and naturally.

Read: Organic Gardening 101: Organic Fertilizers

Watch Out For

Read: Protect Your Lawn – Recent Take-All Root Rot Sightings

SCALE
Insects on hardy trees and shrubs. Spray with Neem Oil spray or Dormant Oil.

Read: What’s Bugging You Now?

LAWN FUNGUS
This can be a major problem after long periods of wet, cool weather or over watering. There are two major kinds of lawn fungus – Take All Patch and Brown Patch. Treat Take All Patch organically with Nature’s Blend Organic Compost, or Peat Moss, or conventionally with Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide or Scotts DiseaseEX.

Treat Brown Patch Fungus with Fertilome F-Stop Granules.

Water

Only as needed – but dry cold fronts, high winds and low humidity can dry plants quickly.
Established lawns only need water every couple of weeks, provided we don’t get rain.
Be sure to check your sprinkler system and adjust accordingly.

Prune

Perennials that have finished their bloom.
Pick spent flowers from annuals to prolong their bloom season.

Read: To Prune or Not to Prune?

Harvest Citrus

Starting in December, and more in January, harvest your lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, and other citrus fruits. What a great holiday gift!
If you notice any fruits with black gunk on them, it's likely honeydew from insects. Treat with organic All Season Horticultural Oil spray to suffocate any lingering insects.

Be Ready for Frost Protection!

We never know if we might get an early freeze in December, so have your frost blankets handy.
When covering plants for a freeze, make a tent to capture ground warmth - not a lollipop! The frost protection cloth should extend all the way to the ground and be pinned to the ground or, better yet, weighed down with bricks or firewood - something heavy so they don't blow away in high winds.