We’re in for a sensational summer season if flowers and fragrance are going to be as good as they have been so far. Tulips, iris, poppies, peonies and roses have been spectacular in bloom, while daphnes, mockorange and lilacs have kept our noses infused with sweet perfume bliss. Enjoy the show and smells.
In the Landscape
Blooming annuals are people pleasers. Their goal is to show off their flowers and make us smile. Keep annuals happy with deep, infrequent watering to encourage rooting and flowering. Fertilize at half-strength every other watering.
Water at the base of plants because overhead watering is an opportunity for disease to begin and thrive. If you must, overhead water in the morning so the foliage dries quickly.
Outdoor containers can dry out quickly despite bursts of rain — water often can’t get down through the foliage. Water when the top inch of soil is dry.
Cutting off or snipping spent flowers (deadheading) will keep annuals including verbena, petunia, marigold and geranium looking fresh and promote continual bloom. Cut back to where the flower stem meets the main stem of the plant so unsightly stubs aren’t left. Remove spent rose blooms down to the first or second five-leaf set. This encourages more blooms unless they are once bloomers.
Mums and asters will bloom in summer unless the flower buds are pinched or cut. Pinching also helps plants grow more full (less upright) and delays blooming until the fall. Use scissors to cut back an inch or two down from the unopened bud, cutting right above a set of leaves. Pinch through mid-July.
Continue planting annuals and perennials including plants, trees and shrubs. Try to plant on a cloudy day or early evening when temperatures are cooler and itap less windy.
Nothing beats a soothing water feature; consider installing one this summer. In the meantime, shop for fish and new aquatic plants.
Apply final spring season lawn fertilizer application to warm- and cool-season grasses. Use one-half to 1 pound of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. Reduce fertilizer application rates by one-fourth to one-third if clippings are left on the lawn (they provide quick-release nitrogen and other nutrients).
Vegetables/Herbs
Look for shorter maturing warm-season vegetables to plant and get them in the ground now — peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, okra and tomatillos. Install support cages right after planting.
Continue direct-seeding okra, cucumber, basil, chives, dill, leaf fennel, papalo, corn, melon, squash, New Zealand spinach, sunflower seeds and green beans.
Pinch the top leaves of basil to prevent early blooming and encourage more branching. Herbs taste better when used before they flower.
Keep the vegetable garden evenly watered to grown healthy, productive plants. Water deeply, but infrequently.
Renew mulch as needed on vegetables to keep soil temperatures cooler, weeds down and disease spores from splashing on lower leaves. Use weed-free straw or a sheet or two of newspaper print (not shiny parts) under a lighter layer of non-chemically treated grass clippings works well. Wood mulch is not recommended around vegetable plantings — it doesn’t break down easily and interferes with good seed germination.
Remove the flower stalks (scapes) on hardneck garlic so bulbs will focus on getting larger instead of flowering. Cut low to the base of the scape after they have curled downward. Softneck garlic does not grow scapes. Scapes are delicious — roast them or use in stir fries or in place of garlic in pesto.
Enjoy the fruits and vegetables of the season — strawberries, leafy greens, peas, radishes, broccoli and green onions. Toss or compost disease-free spent foliage after they finish their season.
Garden Watch
On your daily garden stroll, look for signs of disease and insect activity — both beneficial ones and pests. Look for chewed leaves; also check both sides for eggs or adult insects. Identify the insect before reaching for a spray.
Ask for help from a local garden center or talk to a local Colorado State University Extension office. ; look for them at area farmers markets or some garden locations.
Very dry conditions can be an invitation for spider mites to take hold on many landscape plants and vegetables. , so spray plants with water to keep spider mites away or discouraged. Chemical controls are less effective and usually do more harm.
Drift from spraying for weeds or insects on hot or windy days may result in plant injury to your own plants or those of your neighbors. Plants may experience distortion, cupping, twisting or death. Be very careful when spraying; choose calm days and spray very early in the morning or late, when temperatures are coolest and pollinators have retired for the night.
