Cut off old flowers to encourage repeat blooming. Cut delphiniums and columbines back by
half for a fall bloom.
Pruning overgrown deciduous trees and shrubs in the summer will slow down their
growth the following year.
Prune hedges now, especially if you trim only once per year. Make the bottom slightly
wider than the top to keep it from becoming bare at the bottom.
Rapidly growing branches on apples and pears can be cut back to three or four
leaves so they will form productive fruit spurs.
Remove blackberry and raspberry canes that have fruited to make room for the new
canes.
Watering
Continue deep watering to encourage a deeper root system. Lawns need an inch of water
each week when temperatures are near 70 degrees, an inch and a half when high temperatures
are above 80 degrees. Rhododendrons and hydrangeas growing in the sun can be cooled
down by sprinkling them in the afternoon.
Pests
Continue to spray for leaf spot diseases and powdery mildew if plants are watered by
overhead sprinklers.
Spray rhododendrons with pyrethrin or imidacloprid twice a month through August
for root weevils if the leaves have notches on the edges.
Check rhododendrons and azaleas for tiny, light brown spots on the underside of the
leaves caused by lace bugs. Severely damaged leaves are almost white. Spray with a
product containing imidacloprid, such as, BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Insect Killer, or spinosad,
such as Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew, to prevent lace bug damage. Both are toxic to bees,
so do not use on plants with open flowers.
Spider mites are a serious problem on arborvitae and needle leaf evergreens during
hot weather. Spraying once a month makes them worse. Apply two miticide sprays a
week apart, or according to directions on the label. Hosing down the plants once
a week with plain water also helps.
Use a lawn week killer for broadleaf weeds.
Check lawns for dead spots caused by craneflies and billbugs.
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