Monthly Tips for the Landscape and Garden
By ROBERT N. BREWER, JR. Extension Service Agent UGA

Cut the first flowers of lavender to encourage a second crop. Also, try rubbing your hands with lavender leaves to remove strong odors, such as garlic or onion.

Turf and Ornamentals

.During hot, July weather, be sure to mow your lawn to the appropriate height. This reduces water loss and helps lower soil temperatures. Leave clippings on the lawn to decompose.

.A brown or grayish cast over lawns can be caused by dull or improperly adjusted mower blades that shred grass rather than cut it.

.If you have been pinching back your mums this summer, mid-July is the time to stop so they will be able to develop flowers buds for the fall.

.To produce the largest flowers, the main stems of dahlias should be kept free of side shoots, allowing only the terminal bud to develop in larger varieties, a single stalk is the best. Adequate support must be provided to prevent wind damage. Water well.

.Many plants are easily increased by layering. Verbenas, Euonymus, pachysandra, ivy daphne, and climbing roses are some examples that will root if stems are fastened down on soft earth with a wire and covered with some soil.

Ivy and periwinkle can be rooted now to fill in any bare spots in your beds. Don't allow cuttings to dry out.

.Divide and transplant bearded iris using the vigorous ends of rhizomes. Discard the old center portion. Cut the leaves back to about 8 inches.

.Get a second bloom from faded annuals by cutting them back to approximately half their height, then fertilize them with 2 cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer per square yard of planted area and apply a generous layer of mulch.

.Tall flowers should be staked to prevent damage by wind. Use stakes that are large enough to support the plant, but not too conspicuous. Use soft twine or plastic twist-ties to secure.

.Prune Bigleaf of French Hydrangeas (H. Macrophylla) immediately after flowering.

.Tip die-back of redbud (Cercis canadensis) may be caused by saturated oil. Redbud are very intolerant of Awet feet@ caused by prolonged wet soil and high humidity.

.Root holly, azalea, and camellia cuttings in a sand and peat moss mixture set in a cool, shady location, Ivy and periwinkle can be rooted now to fill in any bare spots in your beds. Don't allow cuttings to dry out.

Harvest raspberries frequently to discourage Japanese beetles or sap beetles from becoming troublesome. Both insects are especially attracted to ripe and overripe fruit.

.Cut the first flowers of lavender to encourage a second crop. Also, try rubbing your hands with lavender leaves to remove strong odors, such as garlic or onion.

.Keep a sharp edge on spades, hoes, and other cutting tools. This makes cutting through weed roots and sod much easier.

.A piece of corrugated cardboard such as the side from a box, forms an effective and portable barrier to use when spraying a non-selective herbicide next to desired plants. By changing the angle of the cardboard, it's easy to spray weeds growing right up to the base of a desirable plant while shielding the stems, branches, and leaves. Since some herbicide will get on the shield, the side should always face the sprayer when moved from one location to another.

Fruits and Vegetables

.After harvesting your strawberries, remove excess runners and any unhealthy crowns.

.Allow peaches and plums to ripen on tree. Harvest them just as they begin to soften.

.What's a plumcot or aprium? Both are fruit varieties produced by crossing plums with apricots and are available on a very limited scale from fruit tree, mail-order catalogs or at specialty nurseries. They are reported to be sweet and juicy.

.Harvest raspberries frequently to discourage Japanese beetles or sap beetles from becoming troublesome. Both insects are especially attracted to ripe and overripe fruit.

.Fire blight on apple and pear trees can be identified by looking for blackened twigs and branches. The disease will spread and kill the tree if not controlled. Remove all blighted twigs, cutting eight inches below the infected area. Disinfect pruning tools after each cut to prevent spreading the disease. Dip the blades in a solution of one part household bleach and nine parts water.

.Continue to use Bacillus thuringiensis for caterpillar pests, such as imported cabbageworm. Follow directions for application on the label.

.To prevent okra from becoming slimy while cooking, leave the stem on the pod. The stem is edible, or you can remove it before serving.

.Cucumbers develop a bitter taste if the soil is not kept consistently moist. Harvest for pickling whole when 2 to 4 inches; for table use, when longer 5 inches. Remove any overripe cucumbers to encourage continuous production.

.Okra, one of the most showy blooms in the vegetable garden, bears flowers that last only one day. If the flower has been pollinated, a miniature okra pod can be seen beneath the wilted flower.

.Although tomatoes are self-pollinating, they need movement to transfer pollen. If it is hot and calm for several days, gently shake plants for assured pollen transfer and fruit set. Hot temperatures can also interfere with blossom set.

.Water stress in sweet potatoes can result in cracked roots. A potassium deficiency causes long, slender roots. Too much nitrogen reduces yield and quality.

.For the best flavor, pick ripe tomatoes as needed; flavor peaks within three minutes of picking. If you must wait to use garden-fresh tomatoes, don'refrigerate them. Fruit texture and some aroma compounds deteriorate quickly in the cold.

.You can prolong the storage life of fresh okra by dipping in 500 ppm of ascorbic acid for five minutes. This concentration is approximately the same as dissolving 500 mg of vitamin C in a quart of water. Then air dry and pack in plastic bags for storage of up to one month in your refrigerator.

.Stop vine crops from taking over your garden by pinching off the fuzzy tips. This also directs the plant's energy into ripening fruit rather than producing more vine.

.If your potatoes are visible along the soil surface, the portion exposed to light will turn green. Green-skinned potatoes will taste bitter and can cause sickness, so protect tubers from light by covering them with soil or mulcH.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences