Landscape

        • Wait until mid-September to replant lawn grasses, when weather has cooled slightly.

        • Do not fertilize summer flowering shrubs such as althea, viburnu or butterfly bush until spring or blooming may be affected.

Flowers

        • Start seeds of hardy annuals and perennials, such as pansy, English daisy and purple coneflower.

        • Plant carnations, pinks and sweet Williams now. They will overwinter with a covering of mulch and be ready to bloom in early spring.

        • Order or purchase flower bulbs as soon as they become available for best selection. Do not plant until late October.

        • Harvest sunflowers when the petals have fallen. Hang them upside down in a dry and airy place. Rub off the dry seeds and store them in an air-tight container.

        • Prolong the life of cut garden flowers by cutting with sharp shears, removing any underwater foliage and keeping vases filled with water. A floral preservative, purchased at florist shops or craft stores, will help, too.

Fruits and vegetables

        • Keep tomatoes evenly watered to prevent cracking after a heavy rain. Use a soaker hose for several hours, twice a week.

        • Control whiteflies on tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash by trapping them with yellow sticky traps or by spraying with insecticidal soap.

        • Continue planting lettuce and salad greens every two weeks for an extended harvest.

        • Prop branches of fruit trees that are threatening to break under the weight of ripening fruit.

Eco tip

        If unfamiliar insects or diseases appear on a plant, take a branch containing some of the effected area to a nursery, Cooperative Extension Service, or the Civic Garden Center hot line for positive identification and control recommendations.

        Contact Sue Trusty by phone: 221-0981.
       

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