The weather continues to be dry, and many established plants are beginning to show stress from lack of adequate precipitation in July. It is all the more important to keep an eye on any newly transplanted trees and shrubs (i.e., anything moved in the last year), and make sure they are getting a good watering twice a week.
DO NOT (as I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past) use a lawn sprinkler to water trees and shrubs, they are inefficient and do not get moisture down to where woody plants have their roots. Place the hose end next to the plant and let the water slowly run so that it soaks into the ground and does not run off.
If you have any pines in your estate that are looking “leggy”, you can trim them up now, so that in the years to come they will look fuller. If they are over eight feet tall, this may be a problematic undertaking.
The process is referred to as “shearing”, and is what Christmas tree growers do to make their pines (White, Red, and Scotch are the most common) look more robust. The down side with shearing is that you are removing ½ to 2/3 of the current years new growth.
“ Why on earth would you do that ?”, some of you are undoubtedly asking.
The answer is that pines (and pines only) set buds on the ends of those sheared branches, and as a result look fuller in following years. Hence most Christmas tree growers shear their pines every year. True, it takes longer for a tree to reach a certain height if you keep removing a portion of its new growth each season, but the net result is a very dense looking tree. Commercial growers use shearing knives to prune their pines, but if you have only a couple trees, a hedge clippers will work ok. The idea is to shear the tree so that it looks like an inverted pointy ice cream cone, with a “leader” (a stem, or central branch of the tree) that sticks up about 6 to 8 inches above the apex of the “cone”.
If you are going to do this, do not delay, July and early August are good times to do this, so that the tree has ample time to form those lateral buds for next years growth.
Some customers are experiencing Japanese Beetle problems now. If you are not noticing those metallic green insects, good for you. Leave well enough alone. If they are a problem, you might want to try a granular insecticide that you apply to your lawn. It works to kill the grub stage of the beetle that feeds on the roots of plants. This solution will not eliminate the beetles that already exist, but it will eliminate their offspring and grubs still in the ground. It will benefit you next year, rather than this year. Insecticides labeled for Japanese Beetles may be of some help eliminating current infestations, but it is best to use the spray only where you find them congregating.
Get the most bang for your buck, that way. A last resort is the Beetle trap. They do work, but remember they function by attracting beetles to the trap, so they could make a mild infestation worse by luring more beetles to your yard. Use only if the critters are abundant. Better garden centers, such as Piala’s , have personnel that can address your needs and give you specific recommendations on any of your insect problems. Stop on out.
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