lugs.
Water recommendations from the University of Florida for newly planted lawns are as follows:
· First 7-10 days, water 2-3 times daily. Short (5 to10 minutes) try to keep plant material from drying out 7 to 10 days after planting.
· Once a day: Apply 3/8 to 1/4 inch of water more will be wasted due to short roots
· Next 7-10 days: Every other day apply 3/8, 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water.
· 3-4 weeks after planting: 1 to 2 times a weekl apply 3/8 to 1/2 inch of water.
Crops that can be planted are okra, southern peas and sweet potatoes. Tomatoes, lima beans, eggplants and cucumbers should be ready to harvest in June. Once plants are finished being harvested, remove and turn the soil over. Apply a fresh layer of compost or peat humus and work into the soil and let the garden rest over the summer. If you have melons, pumpkins, winter squash or any other long season vegetables, check for leaf fungus, mildew or leaf spots. Avoid overhead irrigation and keep leaves off the soil. Mulch with pine needles or leaves underneath the plants and fruits to help keep them dry. Remove any diseased leaves and destroy. Chemical sprays of fungicides may be necessary if symptoms are severe. Bring in samples to the Extension office for diagnosis before spraying with any chemicals.
Blueberries are in season now and ready to harvest. Valencia oranges should be checked for ripeness.
Some citrus will start dropping fruit. This is natural, as the tree drops excess fruit it cannot support. The remaining fruit will be larger. Dropping fruit allows the tree to use available nutrients for the remaining fruit production.
Do not mulch around citrus trees. If you need to kill vegetation around the trees, hand pull the weeds or use Roundup, but do not get it on the leaves or it will harm the trees. Roundup kills most plants by absorption through the leaves and decomposes as soon as it hits the ground.
Check mulch levels around all flowering beds. If the mulch level is less than 2 inches, add more. If black spot is showing up on roses, treat weekly with triforine fungicide and horticultural oil spray. Avoid overhead irrigation from sprinklers otherwise the disease will persist.
Bedding plants to plant this month include celosia, coleus, crossandras, impatiens, kalanchoe, nicotianas, ornamental peppers, moss rose, nemesia, salvia, periwinkles and zinnias. This is the last month to prune azaleas, camellias and gardenias. Since they start setting buds for next year's flowers during the summer, pruning any later in the year may harm next year's flower production.
If your young oleanders are being devoured by the oleander caterpillars treat the plant with Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), Dipel (powder) or Thuricide (liquid). For best results treat in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day. Bacillus thuringiensis is light sensitive. The bacteria are ingested with the foliage when the caterpillar eats the plant and eventually eat the caterpillar from the inside. BT is effective on most caterpillars, but be aware that it also will kill the caterpillars that grow into butterflies.
Lightly prune your shrubs and perennials to promote bushier plants. Prune dead branches and limbs from your trees to prepare for hurricane season, which begins Wednesday.
Ruth Micieli is horticulture program assistant and Master Gardener Coordinator of the Flagler County Extension Service, University of Florida. For information, contact the office, 386-437-7464. The extension service is at 150 Sawgrass Road, off County Road 13.