Summer Tips

For Your Lawn

• Apply weed and feed fertilizer to control broadleaf weeds and clover. Apply in the morning on wet grass so that particles cling to weed foliage. Plan your application for when dry weather is forecast for at least 48 hours.
• Remember to raise mowing height to 3 inches to conserve water during the hot months of July and August. Lawns will need a high nitrogen feeding during this time.
  

For Your Vegetable Garden

• Apply a weekly fertilizer to give vegetable plants a healthy start and keep them producing all summer long.
• Start seeds for fall vegetable crops.
• Stake tomato plants and remove suckers to ensure maximum production.
• Replant heat-tolerant lettuce varieties for summer salads.
  

For Your Flower Beds

• Feed roses with rose food and systemic insect control.
• Deadhead annual and perennial flowers to encourage repeat bloom. Discard spent flowers to avoid spreading disease.
• If transplanting spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips, and minor bulbs, lift and separate at this time. Apply a fungicide treatment; store in a cool, well-ventilated space; and allow bulbs to rest until fall before replanting.
• Apply a layer of mulch to beds to control weeds and conserve moisture.
• Give plants a weekly feeding of liquid fertilizer to keep them performing all summer long.
  

For Your Trees and Shrubs

• Fertilize flowering trees and shrubs such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and other broadleaf evergreens after blooming. This is also the best time to prune, before next year's buds have set.