The Backyard Gardeners
Gardening  for Fun!

Seasonal Tips by Month
The horticulutral suggestions on this page are pertinent to the Southeastern portion of Virginia, a transition area between zones 7b and 8a. 

Current Season-Summer

   June Gardening Tidbits

  • Remember the opposite of heat is not water.  Deep water with 1 inch a week.

  • Cool season grasses (fescue) do nothing but cut the grass until the growth slows.

  • Warm season grasses (Bermuda, Centipede, Zoysia, St. Augustine) the best time to establish a lawn or overseed is May-July.

  • Mark your perennials with color, variety and species so you will know specifics when you divide them in the fall or next spring.

  • Feed daylilies and hosts with 10-10-10 fertilizer and add lime to daylilies.  Dead head spent daylily blooms.

  • Prune azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons to shape after bloom is complete.  Feed with fertilizer for acid loving plants after pruning.

  • Roses should be blooming this month.  They are heavy feeders so feed with rose fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.

  • Lightly feed perennials monthly with 10-10-10 or 5-10-10 fertilizer.

  • Mix green matter into compost pile if it isn’t heating up enough.

  • Herbs are basically care free so they do not need fertilizer or much water.

  • If vegetables have leaf spot, carefully diagnose the problem before treating.  Several problems have similar symptoms.

July Gardening Tidbits

  • Remember the opposite of heat is not water.  Deep water with 1 inch a week.

  • Be wise when gardening in the heat.  Drink plenty of fluids when the temperatures rise.

  • Azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons should be pruned by July to avoid damaging next year’s blooms.

  • July and August are the best times to divide iris.

  • Mid July to early August is the optimum time to treat for white grubs.

  • Poison ivy is a year round problem.  Be careful and wash with soap and water after exposure.  The oils that casue the irritation can be spread by pets or on tools or clothing.

  • Pinch back and fertilize many perennials such as daylilies, phlox, delphenium, daisies, sedum, hostas and lamb’s ear to get second bloom or new growth.

  • To get a second bloom from spent annuals, cut back to about ½ the size and fertilize with ¾ cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer for every square yard of planted area.

  • Mulch herbs to keep roots cool.

  • Use fertilizer specific for tomatoes and don’t smoke while gardening.  Plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are susceptible to mosaic virus common in tobacco. 

August Gardening Tidbits

  • Remember the opposite of heat is not water.  Deep water with 1 inch a week.

  • Many turf grasses may see fungal diseases this time of year.  If you suspect you have a turf fungal disease, contact your local extension agent and ask how to dig a sample for analysis.

  • Do not fertilize fescue and set your mower to 3-4 inch height to mow during the hot months to reduce stress on the lawn.

  • September is the ideal month to begin fertilizing and overseeding fescue lawns. 

  • Survey any damage done by storms and do the least pruning necessary to reshape damaged plants.

  • Be sure to correctly diagnose a problem before using a pesticide.

  • You may be able to get a second bloom from crepe myrtles if you dead head the spent blooms.

  • Try to avoid deep cultivation in your flower beds in August.  This may cause damage to surface roots and increase loss of soil water.

  • Clean up any fallen rose, camellia, azalea and peony leaves to reduce disease and pest infestation later.

  • Continue to separate and plant iris.

  • Make plans with a neighbor to harvest any veggies and fruits that become ripe while you are on vacation.

  • Fertilize and water your strawberries now to increase yield.

 

Upcoming Season Preview

Fall is the best time to reseed or start a new fescue lawn.

Plant trees and shrubs.

Start a fall season vegetable garden.

Harvest your vegetables and fuits and enjoy the bounty.

Enjoy the cooler days!







 

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