Gardening This Weekend: August 16, 2018
School either has started or soon will. It’s still quite warm. There are some really important late-summer gardening tasks, and you’ll find them in the list below.
PLANT
• Zinnias, marigolds, celosias and other fall-color annuals. Set out vigorous potted transplants immediately, preferably in bud but not yet in bloom. They’ll establish and bloom much better than plants that have already come into full flower. And you won’t believe the intensity of their colors in fall’s cooler weather.
• Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower transplants. This is the prime weekend to plant them.
• New turfgrass as soon as possible to give it several weeks to establish good roots before cool weather returns. See our comparisons of the various types in last week’s e-gardens.
PRUNE
• Wild branches extending way out beyond canopies of shrubs to maintain natural growth forms. Whenever possible avoid squared or globular shapes to lessen your workload.
• Dead branches out of trees, shrubs, whether caused by winter kill or summer drought.
• Pinch growing tips from overgrown coleus, begonias, other summer annuals to keep them compact through fall season.
FERTILIZE
• Patio pots and hanging baskets, also annual beds and fall vegetable plantings with high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food to promote vigorous growth up until frost.
• Bermuda lawns with all-nitrogen food to keep them vigorous and green. Wait 2-3 weeks to fertilize St. Augustine to lessen chance of gray leaf spot outbreak during the heat.
• Chlorotic iron-deficient plants (yellowed leaves with dark green veins, most prominent on newest growth) with iron/sulfur product. Iron products can stain, so be cautious when using them near bricks, stone or concrete.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• Nutsedge (nutgrass) in lawns, beds. Absolutely last chance to apply Image (original form), Sedge Ender, Sedgehammer to kill it.
• Chinch bugs continue to dominate St. Augustine lawns. See latest story I posted on them last week. Many people feel that they don’t have them in their lawns, but they’re really missing them. See what I wrote.
• Gray leaf spot is less of a problem in St. Augustine than it was 6-8 weeks ago, but it can still show up. Wait 2-4 weeks to fertilize it. Nitrogen exacerbates development of the fungus in summer’s heat. See most current story we have carried on it here.