June: Pest Management, Fertilize and Planning.
Posted in Monthly Reminders by oscar on Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Less than 3% of all insects are considered pests; the rest are either considered beneficial or harmless. Insects are an important part of our complex and interrelated environment, pollinating fruits and vegetables, providing food for birds, fish, and other wildlife, producing useful products like honey, silk, shellac and wax, helping decompose yard materials into soil-enriching humus, and feeding on other insects considered pests to man. A spray applied to destroy a “pest” may well be killing off beneficial insects. The best pest control is you! Set your hose to its strongest spray and use water to dislodge unwelcome visitors or hand pick off unwelcome visitors. Encourage beneficial inspects and birds in your yard by providing appropriate habitat. Protect bees – use pesticides as a last resort.
Integrates Pest Management (IPM) – uses four key approaches to control pests damage while fostering environmental awareness:
- Proper plant selection (choose plants with genetic resistance to pests and disease).
- Biological control (use one organism to control another).
- Environmental and cultural controls (encourage conditions that are favorable for the plant and unfavorable for the pest).
- Chemical control (the last resort).
Water planted areas deeply and infrequently. Water outdoor potted plants daily.
Mow every 5 – 7 days, leaving the clippings on the lawn and raising the mower setting to reduce turf stress in summer heat. Water during the cool, early morning. Avoid weed killers now that temperatures are above 85 degrees.
Remove spent flower. Remove fruiting canes from blackberries after harvest and prune tips of new canes at 4′ to promote branching. Prune dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs as needed. Do NOT prune oak trees at this time because the beetled that carries oak wilt is active and may be attracted to cuts that you make.
Fertilize with organic options such as rich compost, manure tea, or fish emulsion. Treat plants with yellowing leaves near the tips with an iron supplement. Feed roses and young fruit trees with a nitrogen fertilizer. Feed established annuals and perennials with a high nitrogen/lo phosphorus fertilizer such as 8-2-4.
Start planning and preparing fall garden beds.
and the crew Tips
Source: Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity – Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
TAGS: fertilize, garden planning, June, mow, pest managemnet, prune, spent flowers
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