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Monthly Tips - 2008 |
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GARDENING TIPS
Annuals & Perennials
Ø Stake tall growing plants.
Ø Remove faded blooms on annuals and perennials.
Ø Cut brown flower stems of coneflower, black-eyed Susan, daylily and hosta to ground level.
Ø Mulch to retain moisture, control soil temperature and diseases.
Ø Control weeds. Apply granular weed-preventer in established beds.
Ø Wrap cheesecloth around sunflower heads to keep the birds away. Head is ready to harvest when the back turns brown.
Ø Fertilize established chrysanthemums and salvia with liquid plant food.
Ø Divide and transplant astilbe, columbines, daylilies, hostas, iris, lavender and established groundcovers.
Ø Plant chrysanthemums and peonies. Plant peony crowns only 1½ to 2 inches below ground level. Deeper planting keeps peonies from blooming.
Ø Plant pansies and violas towards the end of the month when the soil temperature is below 70 degrees and nighttime temperatures are in the 60s. For soil temperature: http://www.georgiaweather.net
Ø Plant ground covers: liriope, mondo grass, periwinkle, pachysandra.
Ø Protect your trees. Read “Planting Under Trees” http://county.ces.uga.edu/cobb/Horticulture/Factsheets/Trees/planting_under_trees.htm
Ø Purchase daffodil, tulip and hyacinth bulbs now and store in cool place. Plant when soil temperatures are in the 60’s or lower.
Ø Take cuttings of coleus, datura, geraniums, salvia, and other summer plants to root and over winter indoors.
Ø Prepare area for a wildflower meadow. Kill existing vegetation. Wait a few weeks, till the area, rake and scatter meadow seed.
Ø Harvest fruit as it ripens.
Ø Spray for insects and diseases, as required. Read the label for waiting time between spraying and harvest.
Ø Check for scale. Spray with dormant oil after leaves fall.
Ø Check grapevines for mummified fruit. Pick these and dispose of them. Do not compost.
Ø Fertilize existing strawberries. Plant new beds. Keep bed weed free.
Ø Fall weed control around fruit trees is crucial. Weeds act as hosts to over wintering insects.
Ø Water, if required.
Ø Mulch with 2-4 inches of pine straw or bark keeping it away from trunk.
Ø Remove blooms from shrub roses as they fade.
Ø Remove suckers from base of cherry, dogwood and crabapple trees.
Ø Remove dead flower clusters from crape myrtles.
Ø Prune boxwoods by thinning.
Ø Prune hybrid tea and grandiflora roses.
Ø Cut down and remove trees or shrubs attacked by ambrosia beetles.
Ø Fertilize roses. Remove black spot leaves from bush and ground.
Ø Plant trees and shrubs. Be sure to remove synthetic burlap from ball and burlap plants. It does not decompose. Fertilize fall planted shrubs in the spring. Water deeply.
Ø Propagate woody shrubs and evergreens by taking softwood cuttings.
Ø Refresh mulch, 3 inches deep, around trees and shrubs. Keep mulch away from trunks. If planting had a disease problem, remove old mulch to help prevent disease in future.
Ø Watch for fall webworm. Prune off infested branches.
Ø Prepare new beds.
Ø Check for various pests and diseases. Spray only if practical and required. Drought may accelerate leaf drop of some plants and lessen need to use pesticides. Sanitation is one of the most effective methods of maintaining a healthy garden. See “Sanitation in the Garden” at http://county.ces.uga.edu/cobb/Horticulture/Factsheets/Sanitationinthegarden/sanitation_in_the_garden.htm
o Arborvitae: Needle blight.
o Azaleas: Azalea caterpillar, stem borer.
o Boxwood: Blight.
o Camellia: Southern red mite.
o Crape myrtle: Aphids, ambrosia beetles, leaf spot.
o Euonymus: Scale. Sprays applied in Spring are most effective.
o Gardenia: Whitefly, leaf spot.
o Hydrangea: Leaf spot.
o Holly: Spittlebugs, caterpillars.
o Indian Hawthorne: Leaf spot.
o Ivy: Anthracnose.
o Junipers: Bagworms, spider mites, needle blight.
o Leyland cypress: Bot canker, Seridium canker, needle blight.
o Oak: Orange-stripped oakworm from now through October.
o Oak: Spray oak slime flux with a solution of 1 part bleach and 15 parts water four times, four days apart, to eliminate the odor and bacteria. This will not control the infection.
o Pine: Aphids, bark beetles, needle scale, sawfly larvae.
o Roses: Thrips.
o Rhododendron: Stem borer.
Additional information on leaf spots: www.cobbextension.com
Read “Drought Damage to Trees”. http://county.ces.uga.edu/cobb/Horticulture/Factsheets/Trees/droughtdamagetotrees/DROUGHT%20DAMAGE%20TO%20TREES.htm
Ø Plant or renovate fescue.
Ø Dethatch or aerate established fescue.
Ø Fertilize fescue. Fertilize Bermuda six weeks before first frost. Do not fertilize centipede or Zoysia.
Ø Mow grass at proper height. Keep the blades sharpened.
Ø Check for fall armyworm, and spittle bugs.
Ø Apply post-emergent herbicide for violets on fescue and Zoysia.
Ø Apply post-emergent herbicides as required. Apply preemergent herbicides for cool weather weeds.
Ø Avoid areas of fescue to be seeded or just have been overseeded.
Ø For detailed information on turf care and diseases go to www.georgiaturf.com
Ø Plant beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, spinach and turnips.
Ø Plant seeds for coriander (cilantro) and chervil. These are biennial herbs.
Ø Harvest vegetables regularly to prolong production.
Ø Collect herbs after dew has dried.
Ø Mulch between rows to retain moisture, control soil temperature and diseases.
Ø Clean harvested rows immediately to mitigate insect and disease buildup.
Ø Water vegetables, if required.
Ø Check for various beetles and bugs. Spray as required. Read the label for waiting time between spraying and harvest.
Ø Sow a cover crop in beds that will not be planted.
Ø Keep a logbook of problems so they can be prevented next year.
Ø Get soil tests. Fall is the best time to add lime if it is required.
Water
Landscaping: Effective March 1, 2008, hand watering (one person with one hose with a shut off nozzle) will be allowed for 25 minutes a day on odd/even watering schedule. Effective June 27, 2008
watering is permitted between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 AM. Even and unnumbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays; odd addresses on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Irrigation systems may not be run under this exemption.
Effective April 1, 2008, new landscape installations (excluding aeration and over seeding) may be watered for a period of 10 weeks following installation on the odd/even watering schedule and only between the hours of 12:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Only newly installed landscaping may be watered by irrigation system; all other watering must follow the hand watering exemption. In order to qualify for this new landscape exemption, the customer must enroll in the Urban Agriculture Council’s online Water Conservation Class at http://urbanagcouncil.com or http://outdoorwateruse.com There is a $4.95 fee associated with the online option. The online Water Conservation Class may be taken for free at the Cobb County Extension office during the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Forms from the course along with a Cobb County Landscape Exemption form available at http://water.cobbcountyga.gov/pdf/outdoorexemptionform.pdf and a purchase receipt must be sent to The Water Efficiency Program, 660 South Cobb Dr., Marietta, Georgia 30060 or faxed to 770-419-6478.
There are no limits to the number of new landscape exemptions available. Residents must apply for an exemption through the Cobb Water System. Aeration and over seeding will not qualify for a new landscape exemption.
Pools: Effective April 1, 2008, public and private pools may be opened and topped off as necessary for maintenance. New pools may be filled with municipal water. Pools should not be drained for cleaning and maintenance prior to being opened. Chemical treatment should be used to resolve maintenance issues. If chemical treatment cannot be used, apply for a variance to Water Efficiency Program, 660 South Cobb Dr. , Marietta, GA 30060.
Other: Cobb County Water System will leave a door hanger where a leak is detected informing the customer that the leak must be repaired within a designated period.
Pressure washing can be performed by a licensed professional only. Pressure washing will be allowed for health and safety, prior to painting, staining or sealing.
Personal Food Garden: Irrigation is exempt from all restrictions.
Additional questions and answers concerning water restrictions:
Drought survival tips are available at http://cobbwater.org/efficiency.htm
Check with your local water system to determine if they have more restrictive regulations.
Ø Read “Using Gray Water in the Landscape” by Kim D. Coder, Extension Forester, UGA. http://county.ces.uga.edu/cobb/Horticulture/Factsheets/Miscellaneous/using_gray_water_in_the_landscap.htm
Ø Read “Best Management Practices for Landscape Water Conservation “
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1329/B1329.htm
Ø Water slowly and deeply. Deep watering encourages root growth.
Ø Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses if permitted under Drought Level 4. They use 50% less water than sprinklers.
Ø Check your irrigation system. (1) Is the timer set correctly? (2) Are all the nozzles working? (3) Are all the nozzles the same type? There is a significant variance in water applied between rotary sprinklers and spray heads.
Ø Set a timer and/or use a rain gauge when watering the lawn or garden with a hose, if permitted under Drought Level 4.
Ø Check outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses for leaks. Replace washers as required.
Ø Select plants that are drought tolerant and have low water needs. Group plants with similar water requirements in the same zone. For a listing see
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1073.htm
Ø Use a rain barrel. For instructions to build one: http://water.cobbcountyga.gov/files/rain_barrel.pdf
Save water and use it wisely. Don’t water the lawn on windy days. Water plants, if required, applying one inch of water per week. Observe current Georgia watering restrictions.
Other
Ø Watch for fire ant mounds. Treat as required.
Ø Eliminate mosquito breeding places.
Ø To control next year’s Japanese beetles, apply an insecticide now to control the grubs.
Ø If you spray pesticides (insecticide, fungicide, herbicide) do it in the cooler hours of the evening. Some chemical treatments are ineffective or cause injury to desirable plants when exposed to temperatures above 85°F.
Ø Lightly trim back tropical hibiscus before bringing indoors.
Ø Start adding leaves and other materials to the compost pile. Do not add weeds with ripened seed heads. Seeds can remain viable and will germinate next year when compost is used.
Ø Do not use ashes from charcoal grill in the garden. Briquettes have added ingredients which may be harmful.
Ø Collect seedpods for craft projects.
Ø Spray houseplants before bringing them in for the winter.
Ø Root leaves of African Violets or begonias for holiday gifts.
Ø Various horticultural information is available on Cobb Extension’s website: www.cobbextension.com
Specific instructions on fertilizing, pest and disease control, propagating and pruning are available from the Extension Office. Call us at 770 528-4070.
For a soil test, bring 2 cups of dry soil to the Extension Office. Cost is $6.00 per sample, payable by check to Cobb 4-H Club.
Call the Extension office for more information.
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