Posted by This month, give your plants a little bit more water than they normally would. Azaleas and camellias, in particular, would benefit from this. To reach their full potential, most plants that have already been established require approximately one inch of water once each week. You should water until you observe runoff, and the optimal time to do this is between 6 and 10 in the morning.
The morning is also the optimum time to water lawns and other outside spaces. The disease-causing moisture will have had time to evaporate from the turf before nightfall. Also, make a hill out of the mulch! Ensure that all planting sites have a layer of mulch that is at least two inches thick. Mulch plays a role in the regulation of soil temperature, the conservation of soil moisture, and the prevention of weed formation. Here is your late summer landscaping to do list:
- Use the fungicide Lawn F-Stop to protect your lawn from Brown Patch and other fungi.
- At this time of the month, prune drift and repeat flowering roses. This encourages healthy growth in preparation for the autumn blooming season. Reduce the height of the bushes by approximately one-third and eliminate any dead or diseased growth.
- Fertilize roses with Bayer 3 in 1 or another high-quality rose fertilizer once you’ve finished pruning them.
- Applying an insecticide or miticide that is recommended for use on roses will help keep unwanted pests at bay. You can rely on us!
- Since it is now late summer, prune off any seedpods and any yellow or brown foliage on Louisiana irises. At this point in the season, they are in a semi-dormant state.
- Remove seed heads and spent flowers from flowering annuals and perennials.
- Regular harvesting of mint, basil, rosemary, lemon balm, and Mexican tarragon will help you keep your plants under control and in good form.
- You can either transplant or divide the Louisiana irises.
- Take a stroll in your garden and make fresh flower arrangements with the blooms that you’ve cut from your garden.
- Don’t forget to give your houseplants fertilizer and water!
- Ensure that birdbaths are kept spotless and brimming with fresh water for the winged creatures with feathers.
- Ensure that your hummingbird feeders are spotless and well-stocked with nectar, as the arrival of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds is expected to begin around the middle of the month.
- Sunflowers are a beautiful addition to fall bouquets and centerpieces; plant some now. After the seeds have been planted, it typically takes between 60 and 80 days for the first flower color to appear.
- Bougainvillea should only be watered when it begins to show signs of wilting, should be placed in an area that receives full light, should be given very little fertilizer, and should be allowed to get root bound in the container in order to produce healthy flowers. Huh? Bougainvillea does, in fact, produce a large number of flowers if it is allowed to grow in its natural environment.
- You should now prune any oranges that sustained damage throughout the winter. It is possible that healthy “living” wood was removed inadvertently if the tree was pruned earlier.
- Consider separating your ferns into two separate plants if they need to be watered every day.
- You still have time to fertilize your lawn before it gets too cold. Spread all granular material across a dry lawn, and then water the area very quickly after application. It is possible to fertilize St. Augustine grass up to three times during the growing season: in April, June, and in the middle of August.
Note that the little, yellow aphids that may be found on butterfly weed or milkweed will not do any harm to the plants and will not interfere with the feeding of adult or larval monarch butterflies. The caterpillars may suffer as a result of our efforts to control them.
For more help with seasonal lawn care near Baton Rouge, contact us today.