Lower South
May 16, 2002
By Skip Richter,
Austin, TX
New Transplants Need Frequent Watering
Be extra careful to keep newly planted shrubs and trees well watered as their roots are still very confined and they dry out FAST in our southern summer heat. It is a bit of a challenge to keep summer transplants moist without waterlogging them. Too much or too little moisture are both deadly during hot weather.
Revamp Cool Season Color Beds
Those cool season flowers are looking pretty ragged these days and could use a changeout. Pull out spent plants and rework the beds by mixing in a few inches of compost. This will get those beds ready for planting with heat tolerant annuals like zinnia, begonia, penta, portulaca, torenia, cleome, impatiens and coleus.
Cut Back on Lawn Fertilizing
Now that hot weather has arrived our lawns don't need much additional nutrition. The clippings are decomposing to feed the turf as microbes are very active during the warm summer months. Excess nitrogen can result in rapid growth at the expense of roots, as well as increasing the plants' water requirements.
Don't Be A "Skeeter Breeder"!
Nothing ruins a nice afternoon or evening outdoors like a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. We often contribute to the problem by raising them in our landscapes. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, including water that collects in catch basins under containers, in sagging rain gutters and in other outdoor locations. Check these and other such locations weekly and empty any standing water you find.
Hot Weather Veggies
Our cool season gardens are sweltering in the rising temperatures but there are several other vegetables that actually love summer heat. Now is a great time to plant heat-loving veggies like sweet potatoes, okra, amaranth greens, and Malabar spinach. If you provide them with plenty of water they can beat the heat of our sizzling Southern summers.
