JULY 2009 NEWSLETTER
Viola's News
The annual planting season has come to its peak. We still have a lot of cool stuff so get out there and finish your beds. With the monsoons it's time to get out and plant trees and shrubs. We are also in the prime time to plant perennials, we have a lot of great one gallon perennials in stock now.
What's Buggin'
This month's bug is the leaf miner. Leaf miners are the larvae of many different insects that live inside the leaf and eat the leaf tissue. Different larvae eat different parts of the leaf which explains the different designs they make, it kind of looks like that eighties video game Dig Dug. They can cause death in a tree if it is heavily infested (rare). They have even been known to wipe out leafy crops like spinach. More than likely they are just going to be more of a pest that anything else.
To get rid of these guys you can use Eight, Tomato and Veg 3 in 1, Rose 3 in 1. You may need to use a systemic like Annual Tree and Shrub or Guard And Grow because they are sometimes hard to kill with a spray because they are hiding in between the leaf.
Petal Pushing
Now that all of your perennials are in the prime of the blooming season you can sit outside and enjoy the show. Well for those of you that can't get enough of the show you can bring the show inside. What you talking about Willis? That's right a lot of the flowers that you have outside can be cut and brought inside. Nothing like the sights and smell of fresh flowers from the garden. We have a list that you can pick up in the store or just look under tips on our website. Don't be afraid to combine them as an arrangement.
Back To Basics
This month's organic fertilizer is seaweed extract. Seaweed extract is a great fertilizer to use in place of root stimulator. It is so high in nutrients you will see a big difference in plants, that you are used to seeing with a synthetic fertilizer. It is also a foliar and akaaliner.
It is great for vegetable gardens, hanging baskets, or just on plants that need a boost. It helps you soil retain moisture. Because of the bacterial activity and all of its nutients seaweed extract is a great soil conditioner.
Water Wise
Where is our monsoon season? It is really hot outside and we really haven't got much rain. I'm sure that will change but until then adjust your watering accordingly. If you have a sprinkler system you need to check your beds to make sure that they are getting adequate coverage. Your plants are getting bigger and some my block sprayers, not to mention you my loose a head here and there.
Don't forget those hanging baskets. With the heat that we have been experiencing you have to be on top of watering pots and hanging baskets. If you are a little late they can fry quickly.
If you have not done it yet, you guessed it, you need to put some mulch down. This will retain the moisture longer. There is a reason why I have mentioned it in the last couple issues, it is very important.
The rain will be coming soon so we will get a little relief, I hope. Remember not to be fooled by a quick down pour there is not much water in them. Also don't forget about the plants under overhangs and under larger trees they may not get any of the rain.
What To Do
This section seems to be a repeat, but you just need to stay on top of your beds before they become a major project. Evaluate your watering you may need to increase it, because of the heat. Time to clean up any trees, shrubs, flowers that are overgrown, have suckers or just need a little trimming. Also, you definitely need to be dead heading your flowers (trimming off the spent blooms). This will encourage your flowers to keep blooming. If your hanging pots are looking a little worn time to fertilize them. Enjoy your garden and don't forget to make yourself some notes on what worked for you, and what you want to change.