Gardening Drought-proofing the lawn Most lawns are a mix of soft Kentucky bluegrass and resilient ryegrass and fescue varieties. You can keep your water bill down and strengthen the lawn’s resistance to hot and dry weather by regulating irrigation and mowing practices. Instead of short periods of daily irrigation, water twice a week for extended periods of time (30 to 45 minutes). This will allowmoisture to reach deep into the root zone and keep grass roots from baking in heated soil near the surface. Watering in the morning or early evening, when wind is low and direct sun is off the lawn, will prevent excessive evaporation and help deliver moisture to the root zone. Mow turf grass high, allowing it to stand 2-1/2 to 3 inches tall (6 to 8 centimetres). The longer the blades, the longer the roots, and they’ll be able to reach cool soil and moisture below. Mow every 5 to 7 days and allow the clippings to remain on the lawn to mulch the crowns of grass plants against hot sun. Nitrogen lawn fertilizer requires consistently moist soil and moderate temperatures to be useful. Withhold fertilizer during the summer apply it in September through mid-October, when cool air temperatures and soil moisture are more reliable. Next spring, over-seed with white clover seed (Trifolium repens) to guarantee a drought-proof lawn that will never go brown and dormant in summer heat and drought. Summer annual and perennial flowers Keep flowering plants blooming by deadheading spent flowers weekly, before they begin putting energy into forming seeds. A weekly pass through the garden to remove deadheads can extend the blooming period of perennials by two weeks, and will encourage summer annuals to rapidly produce fresh growth. Remove decayed or injured stems and foliage to prevent infection of healthy plant tissues. Avoid fungus diseases by thinning crowded stems, thereby improving air circulation through plants. For non-stop flower displays, feed summer annuals every second week, using a water-soluble fertilizer with a higher middle number (such as 15-30-15) to promote root growth and bud formation. Flowering plants in containers should receive a half-strengthmixture of fertilizer to prevent burning their roots. Pests and diseases Garden fungus diseases are difficult to control, because they are greatly advanced before you notice any symptoms on stems, leaves and/ or flowers. Many hybrid tea rose leaves are chronically afflicted with black spot fungus. Replace these with shrub rose varieties that have strong inbred disease resistance, such as the family of Knock Out landscape roses. The hatching of mid-summer Japanese beetles can spell disaster for tender rose petals, but early- and once-blooming antique roses (such as moss rose ‘Etna’) produce all of their perfumed blooms in an impressive, six-week display in early summer, finishing just as the beetles emerge with voracious appetites. If earwigs are chewing rose foliage, remove mulch and debris from the soil surface where they hide and breed. Roses can be fertilized twice in a growing season, and will produce blooms for approximately four to six weeks after each application. If your roses are ever-blooming (from late spring through early autumn), plan on making the final fertilizer application in late July. Gardens are home to many kinds of soft-bodied sucking insects, such as white flies huddling on the undersides of leaves, and green or black aphids lining up along stems for their meals. Aphid colonies can easily be removed by sliding fingers up the stems to dislodge them (with a gloved hand for the squeamish), or with a stiff spray of water. White flies are more difficult to keep off the back of leaves, but won’t like a twice-weekly splash of insecticidal soap. With just a bit of preparation and strategic problem-solving, it’s going to be a relaxed and rewarding summer garden season! Judith Adam Home ground With a sunny Canadian summer ahead, thoughts turn to this year’s garden. Hopefully the work will be minimal, the rewards sweet and all problems resolved. Here are some thoughts on keeping the lawn green, the flowers blooming and the home landscape healthy. Photo: Brendan Adam-Zwelling Moss rose ‘Etna’ CSANews | SUMMER 2017 | 45
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