Episode of the Week
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June 4th, 2011
Cool off your garden and the wildlife with Terrie and Michael Lumsden's Austin Pond Society tour preview. John Dromgoole shows how to help your new plants through the heat, even when you're on vacation.
Plant of the Week: Oregano
Tips of the Week
- Plant heat-loving okra.
- Remember to give a long slow drink to your new shrubs and trees. This means going around the plant with a slow drip to make sure you have even moisture to reach the roots.
- Mulch your soil (including your vegetable beds) to preserve moisture and reduce the change of soil-borne disease on your plants.
- Dead head summer annuals and fertilize. This includes native Salvia coccineas. Cutting back spent flowers to the next leaf stalk encourages growth and more flowers.
- Put out a dish of water to attract toads, one of your best insect-eating friends.
- Provide water and food for the birds.
- Raise that lawn mower! With the heat and winds, mowing too low stresses grass roots. Leave it high or mow 1/3 off the top at a time.
- Getting close to last call to prune spring-blooming shrubs like spiraea.
- Top off spring-blooming perennials like salvias to encourage new growth for return blooms this summer or fall. Don't cut back severely.
- If mosquitoes are bothering you, be sure to check any standing water in pots behind the shed, plant saucers, or even nooks on your patio furniture.
- More Tips
Question of the Week
My periwinkles have rotted. What happened?
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