June in review
For the second year in a row, June was unusually WET! Usually, I am hoping for one good rain of an inch or more to give us some good ground moisture before the typical summer high temperatures dry everything out. Ants were bothersome, mosquitoes were thick, and the ground was mushy.
July- Action items for your lawn and garden
Garden
Cooler temperatures in June, thanks to the rain, may have kept some of the more temperate crops going longer than usual. Okra, melons, and purple hull peas are the Southern garden staples that continue to produce in the heat we can expect over the next 60 days. Tomatoes are unlikely to set any more fruit for a few months. If you have indeterminate or “vining” type tomatoes you can propagate new plants from their suckers and use this time of year to get those plants ready for a later summer planting for fall harvest. Last year we were harvesting tomatoes in December. Just cut the sucker when it 8” long or more, and put it in a cup of water for a week or so. It will make roots from the hairs, and those can be potted to strengthen them. I usually make sure these are in the ground by September 1.
Lawn
Mowing - If you are following our fertilization system, your lawn probably needs to be mowed at least every 7 days and possibly as often as every 5 days. The Rule of Thumb is to cut no more than 1/3 of the leaf when you mow.
Fertilization
Good news, we don’t have to fertilize your yard this month! However, don’t forget to continue feeding your landscape plants.Pest/Insects
Fire ants and mosquitoes are going to be a problem at least for the first two weeks of the month. Webworms are continuing to attack oak trees (last months post had details on treatment). We do want to keep an eye out for “gray leaf spot,” it is fungal, and Consan, Daconil, or Banner fungicides will deal with it. Making sure you are watering intermittently and the top of your soil is drying out between watering days will help a lot.
Warm weather and green grass,
Hunter Soape
Did you find this article helpful? Share with your friends and neighbors on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Nextdoor!