IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE that August is here and that we’re this far into it already! Here are some helpful tips to keep your garden and lawn healthy and beautiful.
During this time, it’s important to keep a close eye out for insects in your grass and plants. Mole crickets, chinch bugs, sod webworms, and azalea caterpillars are just a few to look out for.
Now is the time to feed your azaleas and camellias. Bring us a soil sample and we’ll evaluate it for free to make sure your pH levels are on the right track.
Continue to feed and spray your roses. Thrips can be a problem on light-colored roses around this time of year. Spray with Malathion or Acephate to control.
It’s important to remember that nutritional sprays are just as important to the health, fruitfulness, and beauty of plants as regular fertilizers. They are vital because zinc and manganese are not very effective when applied in the soil. Leaves of these plants can easily take in these elements, which are very important to their health.
Start planting and preparing for fall vegetable gardens. Clean your garden site and add compost, manure, or peat to hold moisture and fertilizer until plants can use it.
CREDIT
column by WILLIAM “BILL” DOTY
BIO: William R. “Bill” Doty is owner of Doty Farm and Garden Supply, Inc., founded in Winter Haven in 1954. Bill graduated from Winter Haven High School and Florida State University. Growing up, he learned valuable lessons in listening and asking questions and was a student of the family business. Bill shares his knowledge with his customers daily and with readers of Central Florida Ag News monthly.
