What, when and why

While many gardeners take the summer off due to the oppressive heat, rain and pests, there are some things that you can do now – plant, soil preparation, etc. that will take advantage of opportunities and help you target what is best accomplished on through July and early August.

 

Torenia - The Wishbone Flower

Many planting beds are looking a bit worn at this time of year and would appreciate some new plantings.  Keeping in mind bedding plants that can take the heat, humidity and rain, try some familiar plants such as coleus, vinca and celosia aka cocks comb.  For something different, try torenia.  Torenia is also known as wishbone flower because it has a unique wishbone shape in the center of each flower.  Torenia is tolerant of heat, heavy rains, and occasionally dry soils. Torenia flowers look a bit like a snapdragon and can be white, yellow, pink, violet, or purple, depending on the cultivar.  Some cultivars to look for are the Summer Wave® series including 'Amythyst Ice', 'Silver', 'Violet Ice', 'Large Amythyst', and 'Large Violet'.  Ornamental peppers also continue to perform well in our heat with bright colored fruits and foliage.  Some are actually edible, but often spicy.  Look for cultivars such as ‘Black Pearl’, ‘Calico’, ‘Purple Flash’, and ‘Sangria’.

 

Spearmint - Green and Ready to Grow

It is a bit hot now to try to start many herbs from seeds, but started plants of oregano, rosemary and mint are readily available at garden centers.  These perennial herbs will slip nicely into the garden and take right off.  Also, start thinking about your tomatoes which will go in late summer for the fall/winter garden.  Select varieties that you like or think that you might like to try and start the seeds now.  This may involve checking for seeds on-line for a greater selection.

 

 Oregano - An Aromatic Herb That Will Take the Heat

Not to think negatively, but having a Florida  International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist check suspect trees for weak branches or hazards in need of corrective pruning could be considered at this time of year.  Many trees can be trained and pruned to better withstand windstorms in our area. 

If your lawn is not doing well, try to positively identify the problem before applying insecticides and fungicides willy-nilly. Lawn problems can range from mowing height issues to irrigation problems in addition to biological issues.  The first step in any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is to identify the pest, or the disorder, or the condition, etc., and then prepare to look at the remedy options.   

Take advantage of the sun!  There is still time to solarize your vegetable garden.  Weed seeds, nematodes, diseases and insect pests can be “cooked” out of the soil (at least temporarily) with this process.  It will take four to six weeks to solarize a garden, but it will pay off with sterile, pest-free  soil ready to plant. 

How many times have you seen an Irrigation system going off in the rain?  This maddening waste can be rectified with the installation of a rain shutoff device to save

money by overriding an irrigation system when it rains. If you already have one installed, make sure that it is operating properly.

Take some of these tips and suggestions to heart and enjoy your summer garden!  For more information on all types of gardening suggestions, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

S. Park Brown (2012) South Florida Gardening Calendar.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Gardening Solutions. Ornamental Peppers (2013) The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Gardening Solutions. Torenia (2103) The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.