The dog days of summer have begun !  Take it easy, it's hot outside.

• Collect soil samples  for testing, so that you'll know how much fertilizer and lime to add this fall.  Test your lawn, flower beds and vegetable garden.  Testing should be done once every 3 years.  We have FREE kits.
• Water deeply but infrequently to encourage a deep and extensive root system.  Frequent, light sprinklings encourage a shallow root system that cannot support plants during the extreme heat of our summers.
• To maximize your watering, create a dam of soil, 3-4", around the plant.  This keeps the water around the plant (instead of running off) while it's soaking into the soil.
• Control fungal diseases - which flourish in hot and humid weather - by keeping irrigation water from standing on foliage.  The best time to water is early morning so that the sun can dry water drops from foliage. Watering in early evening keeps foliage damp all night, encouraging the spread of fungal spores.

• Prepare your lawn for fall seeding. The best time to plant fescue seed is the second half of September, so (unfortunately) the best time to prepare is in the heat of August. Call your Cooperative Extension Center for more information on establishing and maintaining a fescue lawn.
• Eliminate weeds and grasses if you plan to completely reseed your fescue lawn.  Non-selective herbicides are most effective. An alternative is a process called "solarization" that bakes weeds under a covering of clear plastic.
• When do you water your lawn?  When the grass blades  are just starting to curl and your footprints remain on the lawn when you walk on it.  Watering too often encourages a shallow root system with plants who do not handle drought well.  Water in the early morning.  Set your timer for 4 am if you can.
• Grasses vary in their needs. Call for a Lawn Maintenance Calendar for your grass and learn how best to care for it - with fertilizing and mowing height geared specifically to your lawn type.

• Divide Iris & Daylilies  -  Do this to get additional iris plants and to open up overcrowded beds.  Make clean cuts through the rhizomes with a sharp knife and cut foliage back to 3 to 6 inches. Remove and discard diseased foliage. Let the cut dry naturally for a day or two. Work superphosphate deeply into the soil before replanting. Place an iris fan in the direction of the desired growth and cover the rhizomes with 1/4-inch of soil.
• Plan for Fall Bulbs - One of the glories of fall are the autumn-blooming crocus and colchicum . Since the bulbs are not always available locally, consider ordering them now from mail-order sources so they will be available at planting time in September. Varieties are available in shades of lavender, pink and white.
• Mulch trees and shrubs to keep roots cool, conserve moisture, and control competing weeds and grasses. A 2-3" layer of composted material will help keep plants strong and healthy in hot, dry weather. Avoid over-mulching; more than 4 inches can be harmful to plants.
• Avoid pruning shrubs and trees during late summer. Pruning stimulates new growth which will not have sufficient time to harden off before cold weather.
• If a foundation shrub has grown to block a window, or creates a security risk, some pruning is needed.  Remove as little live wood as possible now, then plan to do more drastic pruning in February.  Or consider planting a shrub whose mature size will not require pruning for that area.
• Avoid nitrogen fertilizers during late summer. New growth that starts at this time of year is vulnerable to frost damage later in the fall. If your soil test shows that you need to add phosphate or potash to your soil, you should go ahead and add them now as these nutrients will help your plants withstand the winter. BUT: use fertilizers that will add just the nutrients you need.  (Call us with any questions about fertilizer, we can help!)
• Make your wisteria  work! If you are being overtaken by wisteria, root prune it.  This will curb its growth and induce it to make more blooms.  Prune roots and runners underground by inserting a sharp spade to its full depth in a semi-circle about 6 feet from the main stem of established plants.
• Cut back tired annuals. Both plants and gardeners get wilted and ragged in our summer heat. Cut back leggy impatiens and other summer flowers, then fertilize them. They'll regrow within a few weeks, and look great up till frost.

• Watch for Scale On Fruit Trees - Examine fruit trees periodically for scale infestations and mark with flagging tape. Applying summer or horticultural oil (NOT dormant oil) can help keep them from getting out of hand. If you let them go until winter, that tiny infestation will be a monumental invasion! (North Carolina State University)
• Caring for Strawberries - Now that strawberries have finished bearing, prolong their life by cutting off the plant tops without injuring the crown.   Then thin out plants to have 12 inches between them. Fertilize with 1/2 pound of 5-10-10 per 25 sq.ft. Weed and apply a mulch to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. Plan on starting a new strawberry bed every three years.
• Allow Peppers to Turn Red - Peppers allowed to turn red will be sweeter and higher in beta carotene. Even jalapenos  which are traditionally harvested green, mature to tasty red peppers.
• Protect Blueberries  - To keep birds from harvesting your blueberries, be sure to cover plants with netting, plus install strands or windsocks of reflective mylar tape and add a plastic snake or two.
• Fill in empty spaces in the garden with fall crops of lettuce and other cool-weather vegetables. Even beans planted in late summer can produce a crop before frost.
• Watch your squash plants for sudden wilting. A second generation of squash vine borers is hatching. You may be able to save the plant by removing the caterpillar, then covering the injured area of the vine with moist soil to encourage rooting. Some cultural methods that may help control squash vine borers next year include fall tilling, crop rotation, staggered plantings, and good garden sanitation.

• Look for interesting plants in the nurseries, and add them this fall. Consider ...
• Late bloomers add color and life to the steamy August garden: new well-behaved cultivars of Goldenrod ; all sorts of Asters; velvety purple Salvia leucantha and filmy lavender Perovskia; red showy sedum. Dwarf cultivars of Crape Myrtle can even be used in perennial borders. Cosmos will reseed and produce a second crop of blooms in late summer. Ornamental grasses add fine texture and motion, and will look good into winter.
• Keep Extra Containers for Instant Color - Plant some extra flowering containers periodically for backup color. When one starts looking spent, you can just move another into its place and replant the old one or take it back behind the garage to the plant hospital for recuperation.