ASK THE GARDEN GURU!

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WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING NOW IN LATE AUGUST?

Another GREAT Question!

In one of our seasonal archived Garden Guru Shows, the Garden Guru last week said that late August is the perfect time to sit back and relax in your garden and enjoy the “fruits” of your labor from the Spring and Summer! Then of course … you have to start looking at your plants and making sure everything is “growing” perfectly…and make a list of things that you need to do to prepare for the Fall!

Lynn said that one thing that you have to think about is to check and see if there are any insects developing … which you know they’re always are … whenever there’s plants there’s going to be insects … that’s just the way Mother Nature intended it to be! If they get to be too many and start doing too much damage to everything that we worked so hard to build … then it’s time to take care of them. That’s easily done with organic pesticides. This time of year there’s also a little powdery mildew in my garden. I’ve noticed it on Lilacs and roses. Listen to Lynn’s tip on how to get rid of these little pests easily!

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CLICK HERE to listen to the GARDEN GURU’s archived show regarding Indian Market and what to do now in the garden!

Enjoy your weekend and HAPPY GARDENING!

WATERING RECOMMENDATIONS IN LATE AUGUST!

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We are well into our monsoon season … and we have been getting a substantial amount of rain … however … we still need to keep an eye on watering. You need to continue watering your trees, shrubs, flowers and ground-covers to keep them healthy.

Don’t assume that the recent rain storms we’ve had will take care of your watering needs. Sometimes the leaves of shrubs and trees shield the plant so that rain runs off the exterior area of the plant and not immediately around the root zone. There is an art to watering and getting to know your plants on a more personal level. This way you will know when to water them.

* WATER LESS FREQUENTLY, MORE DEEPLY: Water thoroughly 1-2 times per week instead of a light application every day, in other words, soak the entire root zone.

* WATER EARLY IN THE DAY before heat and drying winds cause evaporation. Watering is best performed in the cool of the morning or evening. Remember, plants need 1.5-2 inches of water per week during hot weather, so get a rain gauge or listen to your weather report daily to figure out if the monsoons have given you enough precipitation to meet your plants’ needs. Window boxes, and other containers, which rain does not moisten effectively, will need regular watering even during the monsoons.

PAYNE’S TIP: 

Check your plants on a regular basis – look at them, check the soil and then water accordingly. If something is wilting, it may not be lack of water, it could be too much water or simply too much heat, so check your soil. If the soil is damp don”t water, wait until late in the afternoon or evening. If the plant perks up when it cools off, then it does not need water.

WHAT A PEST! WE’RE SEEING ORANGE APHIDS AN OLD AND NEW PLANT GROWTH!

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Aphids are tiny (adults are under ¼-inch), and often nearly invisible to the naked eye. Various species can appear white, black, brown, gray, yellow, light green, or even pink! Some may have a waxy or woolly coating. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae; the nymphs look similar to adults. Most species have two short tubes (called cornicles) projecting from their hind end.

aphid2Nymphs and adults feed on plant juices, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit, and/or roots, depending on the species. Most aphids especially like succulent or new growth. Some, such as the green peach aphid, feed on a variety of plants, while others, such as the rosy apple aphid, focus on one or just a few plant hosts.

  • Look for misshapen, curling, stunted, or yellowing leaves. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves; aphids love to hide there.
  • If the leaves or stems are covered with a sticky substance, that is a sign that aphids may have been sipping sap. This “honeydew,” a sugary liquid produced by the insects as waste, can attract other insects, such as ants, which gather the substance for food. When aphids feed on trees, their honeydew can drop onto cars, outdoor furniture, driveways, and so on.
  • The honeydew can sometimes encourage a fungal growth called sooty mold, causing branches and leaves to appear black.
  • Flowers or fruit can become distorted or deformed due to feeding aphids.
  • Some aphid species cause galls to form on roots or leaves.
  • Aphids may transmit viruses between plants, and also attract other insects that prey on them, such as ladybugs. 

Stop by PAYNE’S NORTH and ask our gardening experts which insecticide would work best for your particular problem.


PAYNE’S TIP: Hose off (not with a heavy stream as to not damage the plant) or just rub them off of the plants to remove them.

PAYNE’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

ECHINACEA (Coneflower) from Payne’s!

 

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You Could WIN a $25 Gift Card!
If you have a photo taken in one of our greenhouses or of your own garden orlandscape that contains products from Payne’s, please send it to info@paynes.com!

If your photo is chosen, and used in our e-newsletter website or other marketingmaterials, then you will receive a Gift Certificate from Payne’s for $25!Please make sure to give us your contact information in your email.

ZODIAC SIGNS AND GARDENING? HERE’S THIS CYCLES PROFILE.

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by The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Here’s THIS MONTHS ZODIAC SIGN PROFILE AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU GARDEN:


VIRGO (AUGUST 23 to SEPTEMBER)
Virgo ends the summer. The major heat of the season is beginning to pass, and there is a hint of a change just around the corner. As this sign truly represents the harvest, you, an industrious soul, love all things that last or keep. Potatoes are a big favorite here, as well as corn and many varieties of winter squashes. You are an ardent organizer; we expect to see neat, trim rows of vegetables in your gardens. Gloves live on your hands for the entire growing season, as you love to check items off of your “to-do” list with patient persistence. Everything has its place in these kitchens, and meat and potatoes are on the menu with
consistent regularity.