Summertime Borderland Yard & Garden Care Tips

POSTED: Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 12:14pm

UPDATED: Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 3:33pm

Thursday, July 10th We have made it through the June excessive heat and our Borderland monsoon is in full swing! I have not done a lawn care and planting advice column since April so I thought there is no better time to get some summertime tips on keeping you plants happy and your yard and landscape looking good.

So I am checking in again with my plant and yard friend Daphne Richards, a County Agriculture & Horticulture expert. She now is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Horticulture. She is originally from Lorena, Texas. She studied botany at the University of Texas (hook 'em), then taught biology and physical science to some amazing ninth graders in La Joya, Texas. She has received an award that recognizes AgriLife Extension faculty and staff members who provide outstanding performance in education or to the agency. She was presented this award Jan. 8th during the agencys Centennial Conference in College Station. She worked 9 years in El Paso County as an Extension agent and 4 years in Travis County and now for Texas A&M. This lady knows her horticulture and plants!

I thought this would be a perfect time to share her summer advice for planting and yard maintenance for the Borderland in today's "Weather Talk".

Remove faded flowers from plants before they set seed-this will encourage them to continue flowering.

Frequent mowing (every four to five days) is best for your grass and helps reduce by preventing seed heads from forming.

Check for insects and diseases on plants, trees and shrubs. Spider mites become troublesome in the hot summer months. Look for tan speckles on lower leaves and/or spider webbing. Plants may turn brown and crisp where severe infestations occur. Hose down with a strong jet of water in a row to wash the mites off. Be very careful if applying any pesticides during warm weather this can lead to chemical burns on the leaves of you plants.

Continue to spray roses for black spots and insects. Funginex, Rose Defense, Daconil and Captan are suitable fungicides for treatment.

If moving house plants outdoors for the summer, be careful not to place them in direct sunlight. They are no longer accustomed to such intense light and plant leaves can be severely burned.

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Summertime Borderland Yard & Garden Care Tips