June Checklist 2008

To keep it short and sweet, we’ve got the most important lawn and landscape maintenance tasks. Here is a complete checklist guaranteed to keep your yard in tip-top shape.

In June, the advent of summer promises weekends and vacations filled with barbeques and outdoor sports, so you may want to keep your lawn and garden maintenance tasks to a minimum. On the other hand, the avid gardeners among you look forward to planting vegetables early in June for late summer and fall harvesting. The summer months of June, July and August also offer some special challenges for those flower beds you so carefully planned and planted.

• Water: The summer heat can be brutal on your lawn, tender annuals and vegetable plants. Water early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass; less water will evaporate and more will penetrate into the grass and plant roots where it will be most needed to stand up to the afternoon heat. Go for a deep soaking once a week, rather than several light waterings. Deep root systems promote healthy grass with less weeds.

Pink-star azalea             Photo courtesy         Iowa State University




• Fertilize: The Greenview Fairway Formula Spring fertilizer you used a few weeks ago will last through the summer months, so there is no need to fertilize again. However, your lawn might need a boost of color, and in that case, you can apply ProScape 9-2-5, an organic-based fertilizer meant to quickly green-up your lawn without causing excess top-growth. Also, your landscape plants, including flowers, shrubs, late-blooming azaleas and evergreens, and your ornamental and shade trees need some food, too. Woodace Plant, Tree and Shrub fertilizers can be applied year-round during the growing periods of all of your plantings.
  
  Your annual plants and vegetables grow quickly and need fertilizing every two or three weeks during their short growing season.
  
  For azaleas, conifers, rhododendrons and evergreens, maintenance is minimal. Don’t cultivate around rhododendrons and azaleas, as their roots should not be disturbed, but pull out weeds whenever possible. Maintaining a 2" layer of mulch is necessary and should also reduce the weeds. Fertilize these annually with our Woodace Azalea and Evergreen fertilizer and water during the summer.



• Maintain your flower beds: Summer rainfall may not be sufficient for your colorful flower beds so watering them thoroughly at the start and allowing them to dry somewhat before watering again is the best procedure. A soaker hose is a nifty way to water your flower beds, because it allows the water to seep deep into the soil gradually with minimal disturbance to the soil. Mulching your beds reduces weeds and makes them look orderly and decorative. Weeding is a necessary evil, but mulching cuts down on that maintenance task, but regular hand-weeding will also help keep your beds in tip-top shape.
  
• Perennial care: “Deadheading” and cutting dead leaves can encourage multiple blooms and make your flower beds look neater. “De-budding” will result in fewer but larger flowers. Some perennials, like lilies, require some staking so they don’t topple over in the wind.
  
• Tree and Shrub Maintenance: Trees and shrubs are prone to insect infestation and disease. Summer is the best time to monitor and control these pests and disease problems. Careful observation for leaf discoloration, leaf dropping, or overall reduced growth will be your clues. Weeds can also choke the life out of your trees and shrubs, so weeding is an important task. As with your other garden plantings, trees and shrubs need water, mulch, and fertilizer, too.
  
  Pruning and some “tree surgery” will also keep your trees and shrubs tidy and reduce any damage to your home or structures from climbing or encroaching bushes. Effective pruning will keep trees healthy, attractive and free from danger. The job can get dangerous, so if you don’t have experience, sometimes hiring a tree specialist is the best (and safest) course of action.

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