By Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, Okaloosa County
The heat is on … as well as the humidity and rain that we usually have during this time of year. As a result, it’s not the most pleasant month to be outdoors working in our lawns, landscapes and gardens.
The most important part of gardening during summer may be to take care of ourselves with the hot temperatures.
When working outdoors, try to pick a cooler time of day to get the work done, take plenty of breaks, work in the shade as much as possible, drink plenty of water and be aware of the signs of heat-related illness. Here is a website with more info: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weather/heat-safety.html
Here are some tips on gardening during this “not so good time” to be outdoors.
A supplemental application of fertilizer may be needed to keep annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens growing and producing. But remember not to overdo it. A light application of 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general-purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Summer is not the time for major pruning jobs, but some maintenance pruning can be done now. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to ensure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtle, hibiscus and hydrangea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Inspect your lawn and shrubs for pest problems. Look for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass, spittlebugs in centipede grass, sod webworms in all lawn grasses, lace bugs and caterpillars on azaleas, whiteflies on gardenias and spider mites on a wide range of landscape plants.
If insect damage requires treatment, choose the least toxic option. Soft-bodied insects and mites such as aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. But before using any insecticide, be sure the pest has been correctly identified and always follow the product’s label directions and precautions.
Hot temperatures and lawn weed killers (herbicides) are a bad combination. The combination of spraying a lawn with an herbicide and warm temperatures can easily result in lawn damage.
Most lawn herbicide product labels will include a statement such as, “Do not use this product when temperatures are expected to be 85 degrees Fahrenheit or above.”
Do not attempt to control summer weeds in your lawn now by spraying a lawn herbicide while we are still having hot temperatures. You may kill the weeds and your lawn, too. The best option on summer weeds now is to continue to mow and let the first killing frost or freeze kill them and plan to apply a preemergence herbicide in February.
