Mystic Waters & Gardens

TIDBITS

"Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, Who could ask for more?"

SUMMER GARDENING FOR ZONE 6
With the big spring cleanup and planting done, summer is prime time for keeping up with your burgeoning plants. Weeding, mowing, and deadheading will keep your lawn and garden looking attractive and in great condition.

JUNE

Raise lawn mowers as hot, dry weather sets in. Now mow fescue at 3 to4 inches, zoysia at 2 inches, and hybrid Bermuda at 1 inch until fall.
Watch lawns for weeks missed by earlier pre-emergent herbicide applications. Apply a second round of lawn pre-emergent for summer weed grasses such as foxtail if necessary. Take samples of weeds to the nursery. Nursery staff can help identify weed types and recommend the right pre-emergent application.
Don't fertilize fescue or other cool season grasses during drought.
White grubs will soon be emerging as adult Japanese beetles. Watch for high populations which can indicate potential damage from later life cycle as grubs in the summer. Control is best achieved in late summer.
Check mulch levels in beds and around trees. Proper mulching will regulate soil temperatures and moisture during hot summer months.
Continue scouting for insect problems. Positive identification of insects is necessary to properly select insect control operations. Watch for mites on junipers, Japanese hollies, willow oaks, and redbuds, as well as aphids on daylilies.
Remove tree wraps during summer to prevent potential disease and insect buildup.
If needed, pinch back leggy annuals to encourage new growth.
Continue to follow annual fertilization schedule.
Stake tall perennials before toppling winds arrive.
Prune and fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons.
Watch for symptoms of southern blight disease on annuals, perennials (especially vinca), and shrubs. Check with your nursery for the best products to treat it.
Fertilize annuals.
Continue pinching mums for compact growth.

JULY

Yellow leaf drop is a normal reaction to drought. Check watering often.
Water plants deeply. Most plants need 1 to 2 1/2 inches of water per week.
Weekly irrigation is especially important on newly planted shrubs and trees. Be sure to check these new plantings during each visit.
Control Bermuda grass and other weeds around trees and shrubs. Use proper herbicide and read the label. Follow directions closely to avoid harming plants.
Continue insect and mite control. Insect identification is important so you don't get rid of beneficial insects.
If planting landscape material during a dry spell, water planting area a couple of days before planting.
July is a prime month for Southern blight disease.
Fertilize annuals as needed.
Do not fertilize or prune azaleas or rhododendrons after the last week in July.
Do not pinch mums after mid-July.
Do not fertilize roses after the last week of July.

AUGUST

Continue monitoring watering needs of plants.
Scout for diseases and insects.
Discontinue pruning and deadheading roses by mid-August to help initiate winter hardiness.
Grassy winter weeds like annual bluegrass (Poa annual) can be prevented with a pre-emergent herbicide application.
Areas of turf with large brown spots should be checked for high numbers of grubs. Mid- to late August is the best time to control heavy white grub infestations in lawns or beds.
This month should be the last application of fertilizer for the year for warm season lawns.
Toward the end of the month, divide and replant spring-blooming perennials like iris, peonies, and daylilies, if needed.
Webworms can show up at this time. Remove webs that enclose branches and destroy, or spray with an appropriate pesticide being sure to penetrate the web well.
Yellow-necked caterpillars can be severe on river birch, oaks, and crabapples.
Do not fertilize azaleas or rhododendrons; it could kill flower buds.

"The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready To fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost Hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always Be summer.'" - Rachel Peden

CONTAINER GARDENING

If you don't have space for a vegetable garden or if your outdoor space doesn't provide the necessary elements to produce the flower garden you've always wanted, consider the possibility of "container gardening." A patio, deck, balcony, or doorstep can provide enough space for a productive, attractive display.

If you live in an apartment with limited outdoor space, you might consider doing a little indoor gardening. By using sunny window sills, you can grow a number of herbs.

Benefits
Many individuals find container gardening to be advantageous. Each person is unique and has his or her own particular circumstances. They may be:

Disabled with a need for easy accessibility
Gardeners with problem soil
Homeowners with little or no land
Elderly with limited mobility
Apartment/condominium dwellers
Cooks -- gourmet and otherwise
Plant lovers who just can't get enough of nature

Convenience

While space (or lack of it) is an obvious reason to try container gardening, that is not the only reason people choose this method. Often, convenience plays a big part, especially for vegetables and herbs. Having these essentially at your fingertips is a tremendous advantage. The mobility of container gardening makes it easy to rearrange and resculpture your garden and to add new elements of interest and beauty.

For busy two-worker families who don't have time to produce a large garden, a number of well-placed pots on the deck often can do the trick. For the elderly who can't garden anymore, sometimes a simple tomato plant conveniently located by the back door may be enough to satisfy the craving for fresh vegetables and to recall memories of days past.

Economy

Smaller spaces result in smaller costs. Initial set-up costs may be a little more, but once the appropriate containers and materials are purchased, costs are minimal. You will be buying fewer plants, less media, and less fertilizer than for traditional gardening.

Time

Families today are busier than ever and gardening is time consuming. Container gardening reduces the amount of time you spend tending plants. Whether you plant ornamentals or edibles, care is minimal. Time-release fertilizer and automatic watering systems can reduce that time even more.

Display

Just as a garden can be a work of art, a well-planned container garden can be attractive as well as useful. Carefully selecting plants will result in a beautiful, yet functional, display with function.

Plants suited for container culture

Vegetables

Herbs

Fruits

Annual Flowers

Perennial Flowers

Exotic Foliage

Bulbs

USA Frost Zone Map Definitions of Frosts/Freezes United States Average Zone Frost Dates

Plant Hardiness Zones divide the United States into 11 planting zones based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual minimum temperatures.

For example, the average annual minimum temperature in Zone 2 is -50 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average annual minimum lowest temperature in zone 10 is +30 to +40 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are also different climates and frost dates within planting zones in a region due to the topography, lakes and rivers, canyons or mountains. These can cause altered airflows which can raise or lower the temperature, changing the zone in your area. The chemical balance and texture of the soil, exposure, altitude, rainfall, humidity, sun light levels, and wind, and wind chill factors can also alter the effects of plant hardiness zones.

You should also consider the hardiness rating of the plants you would like to grow. Some plants will not live through severe winters; others will wither in heat; and many spring-flowering bulbs and trees need a cold period to stimulate their growth cycles.Plants usually survive the cold better in a dry area. Deciduous plants tolerate a more exposure, and the summer heat. Evergreens prefer a sheltered area with more humidity, and cooler summers.

Definitions of Frosts/Freezes

Frost
32+ degrees - a light Freeze, damage depends upon the duration of the frost, humidity, topography, etc.

Light Freeze
29F to 32F - tender plants are killed with little effect on other vegetation.

Moderate Freeze
25F to 28F – damage to most vegetation with heavier damage to fruit blossoms and tender plants.

Severe Freeze
24F and colder, heavy damage to all but the hardiest of plants.

United States Average Zone Frost Dates

Zone 1
Average dates the last frost - 1 Jun / 30 Jun
Average date of the first frost - 1 Jul to 31 Jul
Vulnerable to frost 365 days per year

Zone 2
Average dates the last frost - 1 May to 31 May
Average dates first frost - 1 August to 31 August

Zone 3
Average dates the last frost - 1 May to 31 May
Average dates first frost - 1 September to 30 September

Zone 4
Average dates the last frost - 1 May to 30 May
Average dates the first frost - 1 September to 30 September

Zone 5
Average dates the last frost - 30 March to 30 April
Average dates the first frost - 30 September to 30 October

Zone 6
Average dates the last frost - 30 March to 30 April
Average dates the first frost - 30 September to 30 October

Zone 7
Average dates the last frost - 30 March to 30 April
Average dates the first frost - 30 September to 30 October

Zone 8
Average dates the last frost - 28 February to 30 March
Average dates the first frost - 30 October to 30 November

Zone 9
Average dates the last frost - 30 January to 28 February
Average dates the first frost - 30 November to 30 December

Zone 10
Average dates the last frost - 30 January or before
Average dates the first frost - 30 November to 30 December

Have a question about gardening or just need a more experienced opinion? We'd love to hear from you - email us direct at dher@bellsouth.net or by clicking the link below!
Click the link to the right to email Diana a question! Ask Diana

or email direct at dher@bellsouth.net