How’s It Growin?

typical ryegrass transition in May

Lawns- Bermudas should be coming out of dormancy and greening up. Be sure to fertilize them with 21=7=14 every 30 days or so. It takes at minimum 2″ of water every 7 days to have a decent lawn-are you watering correctly?
Ryegrass lawns are “transitioning” back to bermuda, that means they look like crap! Speed the process up by mowing shorter and perhaps withholding some water until it has burned up. This is alos a good time to start dethatching and aerating lawns

Fruit Trees- we are coming up on the “memorial day” citrus/fruit tree feeding time. All frut trees, grapes,berries,etc should be fed before summer is here in earnest! Newly planted trees should have something to protect the trunks from sunburn like “go natural” tree paint and use bark mulches around all fruit trees to keep the soil moist and cool. We have been seeing some “orange dog” worms on citrus so inspect them for the critters also the grape leaf skeletonizers are back so control as necessary with b.t.

Roses and flower beds-Keep roses dead headed to stimulate new blossoms also be sure to fertilize all blooming plants including hibiscus once a month for best blooms all summer. The leaf cutter bees are making their mark on many plants including roses-no control is really advised. Begin replacing winter annuals with warm season bloomers like vinca,penta,angelonia,moss rose,lisianthus and more. As always ornamental sweet potato vine is very popular for summer color and very tough. You migh also consider using warm season performing perennials like “katy” ruellia, lantana, and gazania, just to name a few as summer “annuals”.  Again we can’t stress the value of “mulching” near enough to improve the performance of your plants, cut down on weeds and water usage!

using hot weather blooming perennials like canna as a summer annual

Vegetable gardens- You may have or should be getting ready to pick a few tomatoes! Be sure to keep your garden veggies fed and watered adequately as the temps rise, also again-mulch,mulch,mulch…Check for critters and control as necessary. You can still plant melons,beans,squash,okra,eggplant, malabar spinach, purslane and a few other hot weather performers. If you want to stretch the season covering with some light shade cloth does work, be sure it is above the plants by several feet, however as it gets very hot to the touch and can burn plants if too close.

The first tomato of 2013

Trees, Shrubs, and Vines- This is a great time to establish heat tolerant plants and sub tropicals.Yellow and oragne bells, bird of paradise, lantana, bougainvillea,texas sage……all can be planted effectively now! It is also time when we start realizing we wish we had more shade! Trees like: sissoo, oak,sumac,pistache,mesquite,acacia,and palo verde can be planted very successfully in the warm weather. If you need suggestions on where and what to plant “we make house calls”! The Harper team can help you create that “shady” spot that will make your “yard” the garden of your dreams!!

Last year’s event was joined by the Mayor!

We will be hosting our 2nd annual “neighborhood” get together Thursday May 30th at our Scottsdale location. Join us for free hot dogs and cold drinks and get to know who lives next door or around the block! 5-8 pm is the time and Harper’s is the place! We’d love to meet you. We’ll also have some other neighbors like Ray’s farmer’s market, sphinx date ranch, tresor du Jardin, just to name a few there to introduce themselves. More details to follow but please mark your calendar!

The Harper Boys
HARPER’S NURSERY & LANDSCAPE CO.       www.HarpersNurseries.com 480 946 3481 480 964 4909