7 Foolproof Ways To Prepare For Summer

1. Reset sprinkler clocks to increase watering length due to increased temperatures. The best time to water is between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. Check with any Star Nursery for a copy of the Southern Nevada Water Authority Watering Guide or Drought Watering Restrictions Guide. Inspect your irrigation system for correct water delivery to all plants.

2. Control wild unwanted Bermuda by fertilizing and watering it until it is lush (this will make the plant more vulnerable), then treat with a non-selective grass killer like Remuda® or Round-up®. Several treatments may be necessary for effective control. An alternative is to cultivate Bermuda. It makes a dense, water efficient turf when properly contained and cared for. Treated areas can be replanted or re-seeded after dead turf is removed. These herbicides are also effective in treating tree wells and shrub beds without harm to desirable plants. Remember – keep herbicide off of desirable plant foliage!

3. Aggressively manage insect pests with insecticides or organic controls. Paint fruit tree trunks with white, water-base paint or use tree wrap to protect from sunburn and help prevent borer infestation.

4. Refresh potted plants by adding new potting soil or shifting overgrown house and patio plants into larger containers with fresh soil. Use a long slow outdoor watering to leach buildup of fertilizer and water-soluble salts. Apply a mild fertilizer like Dr. Q’s® Gold Dust (5-10-5) or Dr. Q’s Houseplant Tonic (5-3-1). Use cache-pots to surround patio plants and keep them from overheating. Increase watering frequency as needed.

5. Prune desert plants.  Now is a good time to do light pruning on low-water-use plants and reduce stress from overgrown foliage and seedpods. Be careful not to expose tender trunks to full sun if they’ve been well shaded previously.

6. Be picky about fertilizer.  Most ornamentals will benefit from a mild feeding of a complete, packaged fertilizer like Dr. Q’s® Tree, Shrub & Vine Food (16-8-4). Fertilize lawns before the end of the month to get them through the first heat wave. Renew mulches as necessary.

7. Plant heat-loving flowers like Texas Bluebells, Star Flowers, Vinca, Marigold, Moss Rose, and Zinnias. Amend soil thoroughly and use surface mulches to make them more water efficient. Continue to plant summer flowers like Dahlias and Cannas.

For more information on what to do in the garden throughout the year, check out Star Note #100. 

Your April Garden Checklist

 

Brighten up your yard.  Plant all kinds of annual and perennial flowers for spring and summer color. Set out ground covers. Gazania, Iceplants, Hearts and Flowers, Ivy, Verbena and Australian Racer are some good choices. After planting, use a pre-emergent weed control. See our friendly sales associates for details.

 

Pretty but destructive.  Watch for skeletonizers on grape leaves. Adults are iridescent purple moths and the attractive caterpillars are striped blue and yellow (with stinging, irritating hairs). Untreated they will strip all the green from the leaves very quickly. Several generations a season may weaken or kill your vines. Treat with Bacillus Thuringensis (Bio Worm Killer or Thuricide) which will kill all kinds of caterpillars but won’t hurt anything else.

 

Apply mulches on the surface of your vegetable and flower beds and around trees and shrubs. It keeps the soil cool and helps moisture retention. Paydirt™ Planting Mix is an excellent choice for all mulching needs. Bark mulch is a good alternative in high wind areas.

Give lawns a workout to prepare them for the hot summer months. StarNote 820, Lawn Care and Maintenance Calendar, lists fertilizer choices (StarNote 825 for Southern Utah). Continue overseeding as needed and aerate the lawn every 2-3 years.

 

Vegetable tips.  Mulch tomatoes to conserve soil moisture and water deeply, but not every day, to encourage deep rooting and discourage blossom drop. Plant warm season vegetables like squash, peppers, beans, and melons. Plant hot season tomatoes like Heatwave which will continue to produce as temperatures climb. Feed monthly with Dr. Q’s® Vegetable & Tomato Food (6-10-6). 

For more information on monthly garden advice, check out Star Note #100

6 Things You Can Check Off Your Garden To-Do List

Spring is closer than you think and February is a great month to do some preparation, clean-up, and planning. Here are a few items to check off the garden to-do list and get your yard ready for spring!

Watch out for strong winds. 

Spring often comes early to the Desert Southwest. Winds can stress new plantings and burn young leaves. 

Water deeply and make sure all new trees are STAKED PROPERLY. Use multiple poles and soft ties to keep trees from breaking or blowing over.

Finish planting Dormant Pot Roses and Fruit Trees.  

All planting should be completed by Valentine’s Day or the plants may not survive the coming summer heat.

“Wake up” Established roses.  

About 3 weeks after pruning, get roses ready for the spring blooming period with the “Star Potion” discussed in StarNote 605, Fertilizer Mixture for Established Roses. 

Fertilize fruit trees and grapes early in the month.  

The greatest need for nitrogen is about 6 weeks before and after bloom. Proper feeding during this period helps ensure the highest quality fruit. The use of a soil alkalinity modifier like Con-Gro can substantially enhance your plant's uptake of nutrients. The “Star Potion” for fruit trees is discussed in StarNote 610, Fertilizer Mixture for Established Fruit Trees. 

Frost-damaged plants.  

If damaged by a freeze or hard frost, leave plants unpruned and undisturbed until later in spring. Pruning or transplanting after such damage may further weaken or kill the plant. When new growth emerges, you’ll see where to prune it.

Prevent spring lawn weeds 

An application of a granular pre-emergent weed control product, like Amaze® or Bonide Crabgrass and Broadleaf Weed Preventer, give excellent pre-emergent control in tree wells, shrub and flower beds.

The Ultimate Guide For A Fuss-Free Summer Yard!

Second application of Pre-emergent weed control.  Depending on the amount and timing of your first application, it may have become ineffective by now. Weeds will continue to start from seed throughout the warm season (especially with the summer rains).

Do NOT fertilize your regular (non-Palm) plants with high nitrogen (over 7%) now!

Fertilize palms 2-3 times during this period with Dr. Q’s® Palm Tree Food (14-4-14) to provide the special nutrients needed for vigorous growth and rich, green color.

More is not always better! Resist the temptation to water everything to death in the heat. Just because a plant “looks dry” does not mean it needs more water. If the soil is too often watered, the plant can not breathe, and can not take up the water in its soil.

Consult your watering guides. Check out Star Note #900A and Star Note #900B.

Prevent and control Spider Mites on evergreens like cypress and juniper by using a high pressure hose to wash the foliage every 2-3 weeks. Symptoms include a dusty, off color or rust colored appearance and fine webbing on the foliage. Apply a miticide like Malathion, Bug-b-Gon or Insect, Mite & Disease Control if infestation becomes severe.

Keep your lawn healthy without excessive growth by using a balanced, high iron fertilizer like Dr. Q’s Triple Play (7-7-7) or Super Iron Plant Food (9-9-9). Watch for summer weeds like dandelions and spurge. Pull by hand or spot spray with a broadleaf weed killer. Don’t spray your whole lawn. Herbicide-temperature interaction could cause severe damage.

Control insect pests like roaches, ants, black widows, earwigs and so (roly-poly) bugs with chemical or pyrethrin based insecticides. When using any pesticide, read complete instructions and follow package directions exactly! (top)

For more information on the Gardener's Calendar, check out Star Note #100.

7 Tips To Transition Into Summer

Here's a few tips to help your yard transition into warmer weather.

Reset sprinkler clocks to increase watering length due to increased temperatures. The best time to water is between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. Check with any Star Nursery for a copy of the Southern Nevada Water Authority Watering Guide or Drought Watering Restrictions Guide. Inspect your irrigation system for correct water delivery to all plants.

Control wild unwanted Bermuda by fertilizing and watering it until it is lush (this will make the plant more vulnerable), then treat with a non-selective grass killer like Remuda® or Round-up®. Several treatments may be necessary for effective control. An alternative is to cultivate the Bermuda. It makes a dense, water efficient turf when properly contained and cared for. Treated areas can be replanted or re-seeded after dead turf is removed. These herbicides are also effective in treating tree wells and shrub beds without harm to desirable plants. Remember – keep herbicide off of desirable plant foliage!

Aggressively manage insect pests with insecticides or organic controls. Paint fruit tree trunks with white, water-base paint or use tree wrap to protect from sunburn and help prevent borer infestation.

Refresh potted plants by adding new potting soil or shifting overgrown house and patio plants into larger containers with fresh soil. Use a long slow outdoor watering to leach buildup of fertilizer and water soluble salts. Apply a mild fertilizer like Dr. Q’s® Gold Dust (5-10-5) or Dr. Q’s Houseplant Tonic (5-3-1). Use cache-pots to surround patio plants and keep them from overheating. Increase watering frequency as needed.

Prune desert plants.  Now is a good time to do light pruning on low-water use plants and reduce stress from overgrown foliage and seedpods. Be careful not to expose tender trunks to full sun if they’ve been well shaded previously.

Be picky about fertilizer.  Most ornamentals will benefit from a mild feeding of a complete, packaged fertilizer like Dr. Q’s® Tree, Shrub & Vine Food (16-8-4). 

Fertilize lawns before the end of the month to get them through the first heat wave. 

Renew mulches as necessary.

Plant heat-loving flowers like Texas Bluebells, Star Flowers, Vinca, Marigold, Moss Rose and Zinnias. 

Amend soil thoroughly and use surface mulches to make them more water efficient. Continue to plant summer flowers like Dahlias and Cannas.

For More Information On The Gardener's Calendar, Check Out Star Note #100!

Top 5 Items To Check Off Your Spring To-Do List

Brighten up your yard.  Plant all kinds of annual and perennial flowers for spring and summer color. Set out ground covers. Gazania, Iceplants, Hearts and Flowers, Ivy, Verbena and Australian Racer are some good choices. After planting, use a pre-emergent weed control. See our friendly sales associates for details.

Pretty but destructive.  Watch for skeletonizers on grape leaves. Adults are iridescent purple moths and the attractive caterpillars are striped blue and yellow (with stinging, irritating hairs). Untreated they will strip all the green from the leaves very quickly. Several generations a season may weaken or kill your vines. Treat with Bacillus Thuringensis (Bio Worm Killer or Thuricide) which will kill all kinds of caterpillars but won’t hurt anything else.

Apply mulches on the surface of your vegetable and flower beds and around trees and shrubs. It keeps the soil cool and helps moisture retention. Paydirt™ Planting Mix is an excellent choice for all mulching needs. Bark mulch is a good alternative in high wind areas.

Give lawns a workout to prepare them for the hot summer months. StarNote 820, Lawn Care and Maintenance Calendar, lists fertilizer choices (StarNote 825 for Southern Utah). Continue over seeding as needed and aerate the lawn every 2-3 years.

Vegetable tips.  Mulch tomatoes to conserve soil moisture and water deeply, but not every day, to encourage deep rooting and discourage blossom drop. Plant warm season vegetables like squash, peppers, beans and melons. Plant hot season tomatoes like Heatwave which will continue to produce as temperatures climb. Feed monthly with Dr. Q’s® Vegetable & Tomato Food (6-10-6). (top)

For more seasonal tips, check out Star Note #100, The Gardeners Calendar