Gardening This Weekend: August 26, 2021
Here are this weekend’s most timely tidbits.
PLANT
• Fall-flowering bulbs immediately, including oxblood lilies, spider lilies, naked lady lilies and autumn crocus (sternbergias). Dig and divide spring-flowering jonquils and narcissus before they start to produce new roots for the upcoming season.
• Wildflower seeds in lightly turned soil in a sunny, well-draining location. Do not sow within lawn areas. Wildflowers do not compete well with turf. Spring-flowering types, for example, must be left in place long enough to go to seed. By then turf will have needed several mowings.
PRUNE
• Frozen branches from shrubs and trees. It seems like this message may go on forever. Reshape plants in the process.
• Keep mowing lawn at recommended height up until frost. Tall grass becomes weak grass, more likely to allow weeds to invade.
• Pinch flower stalks from basil and coleus plants. If you allow them to go to flower, they will quit producing new foliage.
FERTILIZE
• Annual color plants that have stalled out after the hot weather with high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food for a boost of new growth.
• Bermuda turf with all-nitrogen food for fall green-up. Find one with a high percentage of that nitrogen in slow-release form. Wait another week or two to feed St. Augustine turf to lessen the chance of gray leaf spot.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• You only get one chance to prevent cool-season grassy weeds annual bluegrass, rescuegrass and ryegrass. Apply pre-emergent weedkiller granules Dimension, Halts or Balan now – before Labor Day – to prevent germination of their seeds. See related story last week. Just remember that if you miss this one chance, you’ll have to live with these weeds for all of next spring. Don’t miss that one chance!
• Armyworms may be feeding on bermuda turf and turning it brown in large areas. See related story in recent issue.
• Fall webworms may be forming their webs in pecans, walnuts, persimmons and other trees. Use a long-handled pole pruner to eliminate all the webs you can safely reach before they become large. Be aware of power lines nearby.