Yep...MIA is right! We have jumped from winter hanging on through March and most of April and now it is HOT! Don't know about you but Memorial Day was a scorcher!
It was
"Hotter
then
a
If you are old enough to remember.....Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman....whew...another scorcher for the times!
Enough of me showing my age. Time to get to the basics for this month.
1. If your viburnum are getting curled leaves or your spirea have little red flecks all over the leaves, it's a good bet they are getting infested with those nasty little Aphids. Spray your Systemic insecticide and remember to get up under the leaves as much as possible since that is where they are hiding and pigging out.
2. Check your roses for any strange looking leaves that don't quite look like the rest of the plant. They may have Rose Rosette disease. If they do you need to dig up and destroy without spreading to other roses. If you leave it there the disease will spread and all your roses will need to be destroyed. Good news is that this disease,
although incurable, is caused by a mite and not something in the roots or soil so you can replant with a new rose in the same place.
3. Time to prune your lilacs, azaleas, viburnum, quince and anything else you have that has already bloomed this year.
Spirea will be finishing up their pink or white displays this month so don't forget to also prune them when they are done or almost done. And...don't be squeamish about chopping on them, the spirea. Be aggressive! They will look like a round ball of sticks for a couple of weeks but will then re-flush and may even bloom again for you later.
4.Don't forget to reward your fine feathered friends the Hummingbirds by changing out their drinking bottles every few days or at least once a week to keep them healthy and coming back for more.
You wouldn't want to drink from an old glass of lemonade that had been sitting outside under a tree or in the sun for a week now would you?....YUK!
5. Some little unnoticeable critter starts eating on your roses usually in May and June so again spray with your systemic insecticide. Remember....Do NOT use Sevin dust as it only lasts until it rains and it can be deadly to Bees.
6. You know, many Butterfly bushes and Crape Myrtles have either died due to our extremely cold winter or are showing signs of life at ground level. If this is your situation then prune back the dead canes to where the new growth appears and all will be well.
7. Don't forget to spray your evergreens that have been susceptible to Bagworms
ASAP as this is the only time they are out of those bags chewing, gnawing, mating and sucking their little brains out. Don't wait or you will miss the opportunity! Again use your Systemic insecticide.
8. Also the candles on your spruce trees should be finishing up their push of new growth so it is time to spray them with the fungicide I mentioned last month to try to stop the deadly root fungus that is attacking them.
Other than these tidbits of "quality" (haha) information just find some shade with a FRESH lemonade and enjoy your first month of summer!
Oh...You Know, I almost forgot about all the
Moms
out
there
now that it's
June.....
School's Out!
|
