June is starting off fairly cool this year but it will warm up at some point for sure. Be sure to increase the water for the warmer temperatures. Plants need additional water during spikes in temperature and during the summer. Tune up your drip systems if you haven’t done so yet. Remember that trees in particular like long deep soakings two to three times a week for deep rooting. Mulch around your trees and shrubs and you can easily cut the frequency of watering by half. The mulch holds the moisture in the ground instead of it evaporating.  Daily short watering on your tree will cause surface rooting. Deep soaking ensures deep rooting and the tree will stand the heat of the summer much better. Tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers are also going to do better with deep soaking less frequently than with daily short watering. If you are unsure of the amount of water a tree needs, we have a handout at the nursery which will tell you the amount of water per week needed based on the size of the tree. It is a great resource for those in doubt.Â
June is the month for your second fertilizing of the year for most items in the landscape. An all purpose fertilizer such as 16-16-16 is good for most things in the landscape. We also have an organic 4-4-4. These will work well for most trees and shrubs including fruit trees. Things such as rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas should be fertilized with a fertilizer specific to them. They should be done once a month for three months following their bloom. Citrus trees should be fertilized monthly through the growing season with a citrus fertilizer. Be sure that you always water well the day before you fertilize. Then fertilize the next day and water it in well. Never fertilize a dry plant. You can easily burn it that way. Also don’t fertilize when we have 95 or higher temperatures. Too much risk of damaging plants. If you do need to fertilize when it is warm, do it in the evening.
Summer will be here soon. Remember to pay close attention to the watering as was stated earlier. The first signs you will see if you are not watering enough will be wilting leaves during the heat of the day. If nothing is done to increase the water, then you will see burned edges of the leave at the ends of the branches. Not enough water is getting to the branch tips. Eventually there will be die back of the branches and you are setting the tree or shrub back substantially as far as its growth. If nothing is done to correct the water deficiency the plant will die. Mulching helps greatly at reducing the amount of water needed. It stops evaporation and keeps the moisture in the ground where the plant can use it. Eliminate grass and weed around the base of trees. That way the water applied is available to the tree and not being used by the grass. Newly planted items require much greater attention to the watering since they do not have their roots spread out far yet. Please be diligent about the watering. If you ignore it, your plants will be damaged or may die.
Remember that we are open everyday, year round. So you can shop any day you like.
We hope to see you at the nursery soon.
Jeff
June Specials
20% off remaining roses in stock.
5 gallon Butterfly Bush
$9.50 ea.
Hanging Baskets
$16.50 ea.
Limited to stock on hand.
