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	August Gardening Tips

Mosquito Control

As long as the water is undisturbed, mosquito eggs can be laid and hatched in as small a volume of water that fills a soda bottle cap.

1. If your potted plants are sitting in saucers, take a minute to replace the water sitting in them with a strong blast from your hose.
2. Take another minute to replace the water sitting in your birdbath with a strong blast from your hose.
3. If you have water gardens, throw Bacillus thuringiensis tablets into water gardens. 
   These kill mosquito larvae. However, this will also kill Dragonfly and Damsel Fly larvae which feed on them.
4. Throw Bacillus thuringiensis tablets in your french drains.
5. Make sure your gutters are free of debris. Clogged gutters make perfect mosquito incubators.
6. Follow the spirit of "Don't Mess With Texas!". Properly dispose cans and bottles in a trashcan.
7. Have your kids pick up and put away any toy in the yard that can hold water.

Hummingbirds

They're Here!  Hang up your Hummingbird feeders.

• Change the solution every three days, or the sugar solution will ferment, poisoning them.
• Move your Fuchsia from inside the house into a shaded location outside. 
  These birds are attracted to the nectar rich flowers. Pinch flowering tips to promote fullness.
• Lightly trim Impatiens, Salvias, and Cupheas to force them to produce multitudes of floriferous branches. 
• Consistently remove spent flower stalks from Salvias. 
  This stimulates maximum flower production, otherwise the plant will concentrate its energy in producing seed.
• Remove spent blooms from the native Texas Star Hibiscus. This will encourage additional flower production.
• A hummingbird flew into your garage? Click here to find out how to get it out.

Annuals

• Lightly feed your annual beds.
• Water well, consistently, and wisely. 
  Don't overwater Crystal Zinnias, Gomphrena, Melapodium, Moss Rose, Purslane, or other drought-tolerant summer colors.
• If your annual summer color is severely damaged replace them.
• Pinch tips of Annual Salvia, Begonias, Coleus, Copper Plant, Impatiens, Petunias and other multibranched annuals to encourage flowering.
• To increase organic matter in color beds use an organic fertilizer. Check our Organic Fertilizer page for more organic products that we carry.

Bulbs, Rhizomes and Tubers

Amaryllis:

• To force bulbs growing in pots to bloom in time for Christmas, start withholding water and fertilizer.
  See our September Calendar for the next step.

Others:

• Plant/transplant Louisiana Iris.

Exotics and Tropicals

1. Feed orchids with Orchid food. If they are summering outside, protect them from the sun from lunch time on.
2. Feed Plumerias toward the end of this month with a high phosphorus fertilizer.
3. Feed Tropical Hibiscus with a low phosphorus fertilizer. Work 1/2 cup of Epsom salts around them.
4. Remove decaying leaves and spent blossoms in water gardens.

Disease Control

• Anthracnose: The leaf symptoms are dead areas along main veins, often in a V-shape from the margin of the leaf. Anthracnose can cause young expanding leaves to turn brown and die. Affected branches may look crooked and angular. Often clusters of shoots - "witches' brooms" - grow from an affected area of a branch. With active infection, remove dead and diseased wood. To minimize reoccurrence in the following year, remove and destroy fallen leaves in autumn, and prune for better air circulation in late winter.

• Botrytis Blight: Also called Gray Mold. Brownish red spots on foliage, flowers, and stems. Fungal activity usually begins when plant parts are water-soaked, becoming covered with a threadlike gray mold. Fungus thrives on plant debris. Remove and destroy affected plant stems. Treat with Captan drench, or spray with Copper or Daconil. Prevent reoccurrence by cleaning beds each fall.

• Fire Blight: Terminal growth of a tree wilts, curling into a hook, and looking as though scorched by fire. This disease is caused by bacteria that overwinter in the bark of trees, and the infection is spread by insects and rain. Active infections maybe controlled and selective pruning. Between cuts, sterilize pruners with Consan. Follow pruning by spraying with Consan, Copper, or with the antibiotic Streptomycin. Follow label directions. To prevent Fire Blight from reoccurring next year, pick up fallen leaves and twigs in fall. Do not compost them.

• Powdery Mildew: A white cottony webbing found mostly on leaves. Can also cover buds, shoots and flower petals. The fungus can easily be wiped off the surface. Control active infestations on Roses and Dogwood with Funginex. Remove diseased leaves from grapes and berry canes; remove affected canes during cool-season dormancy.

• Southern Blight: Attacks stems of plant near the soil line, where one can find white, cottonlike growths. Severe attacks will cause the plant to wilt and eventually die. Treat with Terrachlor (PCNB).

Fruits and Vegetables

• Build a 6 - 8 inch raised bed this month to grow fall vegetables.
• Work compost into new and existing vegetable beds.
• Transplant Eggplant and Tomato plants.
• Plant seeds of Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Bush Beans, Cabbage, Collards, Cucumbers, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, and Summer Squash.
• Apples: 
  If the terminal growth is wilted, are bent into hooks and seem scorched, they are infected with Fire Blight. Also keep an eye out for Powdery Mildew. See the above Disease Control section for more information.
• Blackberries:
  Prune blackberry canes which bore fruit this year. Blackberries only produce fruit on new growth. Check for Powdery Mildew. See the above Disease Control section for more information.
• Grapes:
  Check for Powdery Mildew. See the above Disease Control section for more information.
• Pears:
  If the terminal growth is wilted, bent into hooks and seem scorched, they are infected with Fire Blight. See the above Disease Control section for more information.
• Pecans:
  Keep evenly moist to protect the developing nuts.

Herbs

• Do not overwater established Rosemary and Thyme.
• All herbs benefit from a light pruning. If you do not need to use the leaves in cooking, dry them in a very slow oven, or freeze them in ice cube trays.
• Butterflies are here! Plant Mexican Mint Marigold and Mexican Oregano to provide nectar, and Parsley to host the resulting caterpillars.
• Deadhead flowers on Basil plants. This encourages maximum leaf production.
• Plant Basil, Chives, Garlic Chives, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme.
• Harvest and dry the leaves from these herbs to make a refreshing iced teas: Anise Hyssop, Catnip, Mint, Lemon Balm, Sage, and Summer Savory. Pregnant women and nursing mothers must avoid teas made from Catnip, Lemon Balm and Sage.

Insect Control

Identify insects before spraying!

Although they may be climbing on your plants - they can be beneficials hunting for their prey. Eliminate the beneficials and you'll create a much larger insect problem later on. If you can't identify the bug - bring it in to us for identification.

Read below to learn how to identify common insect problems.

• Aphids: Tiny, white, green or brown soft-bodied insects grouped in masses along stems and leaves, primarily on new plant growth. Leaves become stunted, discolored and curled. Aphids suck plant juices and excrete a honeydew that attracts ants and forms the medium for black sooty mold. Organic controls include Ladybugs; spraying all parts of the affected plant(s) every morning for a week with a strong spray of water; or spraying visible insects with Safer Insecticidal Soap.

• Chinch Bugs: Tiny, black insects that attack St. Augustine grass in hot, dry weather, causing irregular brown patches in the lawn. Infestation most often starts near sidewalks and driveways, or in areas where the soil is compacted and does not readily absorb water. Natural predator is the Big Eye Bug.
  
  To prevent infestations in future years, increase lawn health by core aerating compacted areas, increasing soil organic matter, using good watering and mowing practices.

• Earwigs: Small brown/black insects that are distinguished by "pincers" on their rear. The pincers are used for mating and not defense. They are actually beneficial insects that ingest decaying organic matter. However if there are many of them, they will consume plant tissues. If you have a population explosion of Earwigs, half-bury empty cardboard tubes behind plants - this provides a dark hiding place for them - throw the whole tube out the following morning. Spray visible insects with Safer Insecticidal Soap.

• Fire Ants: Click here for information on how to control these pests.

• Grasshoppers: These insects lay their eggs in uncultivated soil in the fall, and depending on temperature and other climatic conditions, begin hatching from March until June. The newly hatch nymphs are smaller than the adult, and has no wings. Its these nymphs, or hoppers, that have the voracious appetites. They are the natural prey of birds and Preying Mantises. You can physically control them by hand-picking, and/or cultivating soil in fall which disturbs the eggs. Control chemically by spraying visible insects with Malathion.

• Lacebugs: Tiny bugs that suck sap from the undersides of leaves, leaving a brown excrement. Leaves have a mottled appearance from the top. Control organically with Neem Oil (Rose Defense). Control chemically with Eight or Malathion.

• Leafminers: Tiny larvae that feed under the epidermis (top layer) of plant leaves, leaving long serpentine tunnels. At maturity they become tiny flies that lay their eggs in the soil. To control organically, daily remove affected leaves daily, and remove fallen leaves from the soil. To control chemically, spray with Malathion while the flies are swarming.

• Leafrollers: Usually smooth-skinned caterpillars that roll up leaves, feed and lay their eggs in them. Control organically by spraying plant leaves with Bacillus thuringiensis, and/or remove the rolled up leaves. Control chemically by spraying visible caterpillars with Eight.

• Mealybug: Oval-shaped insects covered with white cottony material, grouped in masses along stems and leaves, multiplying rapidly. Indoor plants are very susceptible. Like Aphids, Mealybugs suck plant juices and excrete a honeydew. Organic controls include Ladybugs; spraying all parts of the affected plant(s) every morning for a week with a strong spray of water; touching each bug with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol; or spraying visible insects with Safer Insecticidal Soap.

• Scale: Adults are non-moving, small, white, hard bumps found on leaves and stems. If a few are found, they can be manually removed. If there are many, use a systemic insecticide containing Disyston.

• Slugs/Snails: Use several one or more of the following strategies to control these pests: Apply cedar mulch around affected plants; apply Diamataceous Earth around affected plants; apply slug/snail bait; half-bury empty cardboard tubes behind plants - providing a dark hiding place for them - throw the whole tube out when they are trapped; fill shallow cans with beer and bury at soil level - the beer attracts the pests and they drown in it - replace at least once a week. Note: Keep children and pets away from areas treated with snail/slug bait.

• Sowbugs: Also called Pill bugs. small, oval, dark gray or black insects which usually curl up in a ball when touched. They hide in damp dark places under boards or bricks. To control encourage frogs and toads, Sowbugs' natural predators, to move into your garden. For severe infestations, remove Sowbug hiding places. Half-bury empty cardboard tubes behind plants - this provides a dark hiding place for the pests - throw the whole tube out when the pests are trapped. For chemical control, sprinkle Sevin around plants.

• Spider mites: Yellowing, bronzed or "speckled" leaves. Organic controls include spraying tops and bottoms of leaves every morning for a week with a strong spray of water, or spraying visible insects with Safer Insecticidal Soap. Control chemically by spraying visible insects with Kelthane.

• Stinkbugs: There are two types of Stinkbugs: Coreidae and Pentatomidae.  The first are the Leaf-foots, the second are Shield-Shape.  Both cause yellow specks on tomatoes which keep them from ripening well. The adult Leaf-foot is brown and about 3/8 in. long.  It lays a cluster of red eggs.  The resulting juveniles are ant-like, bright red and typically found in groups, often with their mother on tomatoes.  Both the adult and young have a flat "leaf-shaped" upper rear legs. If squashed they stink.  Hence its name. Leaf-foot Stinkbug juveniles are easily confused with the beneficial Assassin Bug.  An Assassin Bug is reddish and ant-like, but it is solitary and has no flattened upper rear leg.  The Assassin Bug preys on juvenile Leaf-foot Stinkbugs.
  
  The Shield-Shape Stinkbug comes in brown, gray and green.  The beneficial Spined-Soldier Beetle looks just like a brown or gray Shield-Shape Stinkbug, but it has two sharp spines projecting from the shoulder area of its shield.  
  
  Of the two stink bugs, the Leaf-foot is major cause of the damage on tomato fruit.
  
  There are two ways to control Stinkbugs.  Whichever method you choose, consider picking the fruit when they are starting to turn from green to red (yellow or orange), and let them ripen indoors. When they reach that stage, there is enough sugar contained in the fruit that it will finish ripening in 2 - 3 days, without affecting the flavor.  In this way you prevent the Stinkbugs from attacking the ripening fruit.
  
  The mechanical way is to pick them off and squash them underfoot.  The chemical way is to spray Sevin.  
  
  To prevent damage in the future, rotate your tomato crop to another location.  This has the added benefit of avoiding any soil borne diseases that affect tomatoes.  You can also plant small flowered herbs (e.g. chives), and nectar rich flowers (e.g. marigold)  around the tomatoes to attract the beneficial Tachinid Fly.  As noted earlier, the Assassin Bug preys on the Leaf-Foot Stink Bug.  To attract them, plant sunflowers.

• Tent Caterpillars: Also known as Bag Worms. Caterpillars that eat the leaves of many species of trees, including Oaks and Yaupons. Nests consists of webbed bags, containing larvae and their excrement. For small infestations, destroy entire webs by cutting off the branch(es) containing them and dropping the entire mess into a bucket of soapy water. For large infestations, or where cutting branches will destroy the shape of the tree's canopy, pierce bag, put sprayer nozzle in hole, and spray with liquid Malathion, or sprinkle Eight. Spray leaves with Bacillus thuringiensis to kill small larvae that may have fallen out.

• Thrips: Microscopic bugs that suck on buds, resulting in malformed blooms. They can attack many kinds of flowering plants, especially roses. Control organically by removing infested buds and blooms at once; or spray with Pyrethrine following label directions. Control chemically by spraying with Malathion.

• Whiteflies: Tiny flies with white wings. They billow like powder when an infected plant is shaken. They are especially bothersome to Wax Leaf Ligustrums. To control organically weekly spray tops and bottoms of leaves with Safer Insecticidal Soap. Control chemically with Malathion.

Lawn Care

• By mid-August spread Fung-Away, or other fungicide containing Bayleton to prevent Brown Patch occurring in your St. Augustine lawn.
  Brown Patch is a fungal disease that exhibits its symptoms when nighttime temperatures fall below 65 F.
• Don't fertilize the lawn with inorganic fertilizers. It's too hot. But you can use an organic fertilizer to increase organic matter.
  Check our Organic Fertilizer page for the organic products that we carry.
• Dead lawn areas near concrete may be harboring Cinch Bugs. 
  Push a can (with its top and bottom removed) partially into the ground, half in the dead area, the other half in green grass. Fill with water and check after 20 minutes. Chinch Bugs, if present, will float to top. Lawn damage can also be caused by Nematodes, grubs, Sod Webworms, or fungus. 
  If you're not sure, bring in a sample and we'll diagnose it for you. 
• Keep lawns well-watered to prevent Cinch Bug infestation. Water early in the morning.
• Raise the blade on your lawn mower.
  1. Cutting the grass too short exposes the roots to heat and subjects the grass to stress.
  2. When mowing do not remove more than 1/3 the height of grass at a time. 
  3. Leave grass clippings on the lawn after you mow. These will replenish shade grass roots and replenish the soil.

• If lawn areas are looking thin, mow often to encourage grass to spread to those areas. 
  Do not add high-soluble nitrogen fertilizer to those areas - you'll just be feeding any weeds that develop there, and overfertilizing the thicker areas. Overfertilization is a contributing factor to fungal disease development.
• DO NOT apply insecticide to prevent Cinch Bugs. 
  This simply does not work. Apply insecticide only when you see damage.
• Pets and children should be kept off of a lawn treated with insecticide, fungicide, or herbicide at least until the lawn is completely dry.
• Ignore or remove mushrooms that pop up after a rain. This simply indicates that there is plenty of organic matter in your soil.

Miscellaneous

• Mist and dust houseplants frequently to compensate for the drying action of air conditioners.
• Perform all your outside chores as early in the morning as possible, or in the late afternoon and evening.
• Apply a water-proof SPF sunscreen and mosquito repellent. 
  Wear a wide-brimmed hat, and regularly go inside the house to cool off. After cooling off, reapply the sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after finishing your work. 
  Keep nearby a small ice-filled chest with a bottle of drinking water, baby-wipes (any brand) and a water-filled sprayer. 
  Keep cool by misting yourself with the cold-water water from the sprayer, and the cold baby-wipes are great for wiping off sweat & dirt.
• Be aware of how you are feeling physically. 
  If you feel the slightest bit "funny", you've become over heated. Immediately go into the house and cool off for a few minutes.
• Do not do any heavy fertilizing. 
  Light feedings are better. Use organic fertilizers, they decompose more slowly, improve soil tilth, and feed the beneficial bacteria and fungi.
• Mulch beds to prevent moisture loss, and keep roots cool.
• Do not water bulbs that have no greenery showing. 
  They are dormant, and overwatering rots them.
• Check hanging baskets and containers daily to ensure they are receiving adequate water. 
  Containers may need to be watered daily, whereas hanging baskets may need to be watered twice a day.
• Follow these precautions while mixing and spraying chemicals.
  1. Wear long sleeves and long pants. 
  2. Wear gloves. 
  3. Protect the eyes with safety glasses, protect your lungs by wearing a mask. 
  4. Take a shower when finished. 
  5. Wash clothing, including gloves in hot soapy water.

Perennials

• Don't worry if some of your perennials disappear. They're not dead, just dormant from the heat.
• Divide crowded Iris. Add bone meal to the soil before planting the rhizomes.
• Pinch off non-blooming tips of Plumbago, Blue Daze, Salvia, Verbena and other multibranched perennials to encourage flowering.
• Don't overwater drought tolerant plants such as Bougainvillea, Coneflower, Esparanza (aka Yellow Bells), Gaura, Gloriosa Daisy, Indian Blanket, Lantana and so on. They'll stop blooming if you do.
• Sow wildflower seeds now as nature does. While you can sow them in fall when the weather turns cooler, and have spring blooms, sowing them now will bring the best results with longer flowering. Simply scatter the seeds on the ground, rake lightly and allow natural rainfall to germinate the seed.
• To increase organic matter in perennial beds use an organic fertilizer such as Garden-Ville Soil Food, Green Sense Worm Castings, Medina Granular Organic Fertilizer, or Microlife. Check our Organic Fertilizer page for more organic products that we carry.
• Harvest and dry the leaves of Bee Balm and the petals of Coneflowers to make a refreshing iced teas. Bee Balm leaves should be harvest before and after flowering. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid Bee Balm tea. Those with chronic immune or autoimmune diseases should avoid Coneflower tea.

Roses

• Work 1/2 cup of Epsom salts around each bush.
• Keep roses at a fairly constant moisture level. They do not like wet feet. While a raised bed may require more water, the roses will grow better.
• Maintain a 2 - 3 inch layer of mulch to help conserve moisture, keep the feeder roots cool, and control weeds.
• Feed your roses! Granular fertilizer should be reapplied on a monthly basis. Timed release fertilizers are activated by heat and water. With our long season, time-release fertilizers rated for 8 - 9 month feeding duration, actually last for 5 - 6 months.
• Roses in containers need extra attention. Be sure that they are keep well watered, and are regularly fertilized.
• Remove spent blooms, and the roses will continue to bloom longer. Cut shorter stems to conserve foliage. However, the blooms can be very small as the buds open rapidly during hot weather. This is natural.
• Weekly spray hybrid tea roses with fungicide to control Blackspot fungus. Antique roses usually do not need to be sprayed, unless they are severely infested. Follow the directions on the fungicide label.

Shrubs

• Feed hibiscus with a low phosphorus fertilizer, or specially formulated hibiscus food.
• Lightly trim trim and feed fall-blooming shrubs.
• This month is the last month to prune evergreen shrubs.
• Water well, consistently, and wisely. Don't overwater Bottlebrush, Texas Sage, False Agave, Pampas Grass, Native Grasses, Oleanders, Yuccas, or other drought-tolerant shrubs.
• Check shrub leaves. If they are completely yellow or pale, they are receiving too much water. If the leaves are pale with green veins, this indicates that the soil is either missing iron, or too alkaline making the iron unavailable for the plants. Check the soil pH. If it is between 6.0 and 6.8, add Ironite. If it is 7.0 or higher apply Soil Acidifier with Iron. Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia, and Hydrangea grow best in acidic soil.
• Keep Azaleas moist, but not soggy. They're setting buds for next spring's blooms.
• Check Azalea leaves for Lace Bug infestation. Leaves will have a mottled yellow/green color on top, with brown spots (excrement) on their undersides. Spray if infestation is present, or use Disyston, a systemic insecticide.
• Cut off rolled up Canna leaves at the base and destroy them to kill the insect larva contained inside.

Trees

• Prune deadwood from trees. Hurricane season is here.
• Water well, consistently, and wisely. In the absence of significant rain deep root water trees. Newly planted trees need to be deep root watered once per week. Established trees can be deep root watered every 3 - 4 weeks.
• Prune deadwood from trees to prevent them from becoming flying lances in high winds.
• Check tree leaves. If they are completely yellow or pale, they are receiving too much water. If the leaves are pale with green veins, this indicates that the soil is either missing iron, or too alkaline making the iron unavailable for the plants. Check the soil pH. If it is between 6.0 and 6.8, add Ironite. If it is 7.0 or higher apply Soil Acidifier with Iron. Trees such as Magnolias prefer acidic soil.
• Ash: May become infected with Anthracnose. See above Disease Control section for control.
• Dogwood: May become infected with Anthracnose or Powdery Mildew. See above Disease Control section for control.
• Loquats may become infected with Fire Blight. See above Disease Control section for control.
• Flowering Pears may become infected with Fire Blight. See above Disease Control section for control.
• Oak trees: if a white, pantyhose-like web appears on their trunks. Consider yourself lucky as the trees are being cleaned by Oak Bark Louse, a beneficial insect.
• Do watch for Tent Caterpillars. Destroy webs and kill the larvae that fall out, otherwise they will crawl back up the tree and continue their damage.
• Cut off spent Crape Myrtle flower heads to prolong flowering.