HORT Shorts
- Root softwood cuttings of favorite shrubs such as althea (rose-of-sharon), mock orange, Scotch broom and flowering quince. Plunge cuttings in sand and/or vermiculite kept moist, but not overly wet. Dusting cut ends with Roottone hastens root formation.
- Sow seeds of flowering annuals such as marigold,
nicotiana (ornamental tobacco), annual phlox, alyssum,
cosmos, balsam, tithonia, and zinnia for late summer and autumn color. - Melons, okra and corn require a long growing season to mature. Plant them by mid-July.
- During a drought, do not cultivate soil to a great extent. When soil is loosened, more moisture is lost through evaporation.
- Keep roses flowering until autumn with proper amounts of water, fertilizer and by keeping them free of insects and diseases.
- Apply good mulch to conserve water.
- Apply fertilizer monthly, using a complete fertilizer to stimulate new growth and flower bud formation.
- Encourage future blooms by clipping away the faded
blooms of such plants as rhodendron, azalea and crepe
myrtle. Crepe myrtle will produce another crop of blooms before frost. - When mulching, don’t use a material that crusts over, such as sawdust.
- Protect young fruit trees against rodents by covering the bottom two feet of trunks with plastic tree wrap. Dig it into soil a few inches for best results. Remove in the spring.