June Questions
Q. How late in the Summer can we prune Azaleas without losing some of next Spring's blooms ?
A. You can prune back your Azaleas up to early July without loss of future blooms. We suggest July 4th for a convenient date to remember to serve as the last day for pruning Azaleas. Remove strong growing erratic shoots several inches below the outer level of the shrub so that the new growth will not quickly out grow the limits that you would like to set. We suggest using lopping shears with a by-pass cutting action to provide sharp clean cuts.
Q. How can we control Whiteflies on our Gardenias, Satsuma, Ligustrum and Sweet Viburnum safely ?
A. We suggest spraying the undersides of the leaves with Sunspray Ultra-fine Oil . This will smother immature Whiteflies instead of poisoning them. Repeat the spraying at 3 week intervals until control is achieved. This oil is safe to use all year long.
Q. We have black insects with orange-red stripes across their backs flying out of our lawn when we mow. Should we be concerned about them or are they harmless?
A. The insect that you have described is called the Spittlebug because immature Spittlebugs cover themselves with a mass of frothy foam. They are often found in Centipedegrass lawns. Every lawn has a few of them. When their population gets too high their feeding activity can cause the grass blades to develop a yellow-white streak, purple-red discoloration and browning. If you have a Spittlebug infestation they should be controlled. We can sell you efective chemical controls that you can apply yourself or make arrangements for our Spray division to treat your lawn for these pests. Click here to see a video on Spittlebugs.
Q. How often should we set our irrigation system time-clock to come on, and how long should it run in each zone ?
A. Don't rely on your time-clock to set up an irrigation schedule. Instead water only when your lawngrass turns a wilted gray-green color. It is important to water deeply applying 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water to wet the entire root zone. If you do not apply enough water a shallow root system that is even more sensitive to drought will be the result. To determine how long you should water place several cans or rain gauges out in the sprinkler pattern to catch water until the desired amount is applied. It is very important to avoid frequent light irrigations that provide a perfect environment for diseases and stimulate excess growth that leads to thatch problems. If you are leaving your property for a long period it is generally safe to set the time-clock to run about every 5 or 6 days, your water output test will let you know how long each zone should run.