Gardening Tasks & Tidbits:

• Overgrown perennials should be divided and replanted now so they can establish well before the colder weather arrives.

• Continue to keep your poinsettias, Christmas cactus and Kalanchoe in night time darkness so they may set their blooms.

• Mow lawns less frequently now: St. Augustine Grass- 3”-4”, Zoysia- 2”-2.5”, Centipede- 1.5”-2.0”

• Be aware that even though the cooler weather will lessen certain populations of insects, not all of them will disappear. Aphids, beetles, cutworms, cabbage worms, corn earworms, leaf miners, mole crickets, leaf hoppers, leaf rollers, squash bugs and other beasties will still be around to munch on your plants if you are not watchful. Be sure to carefully read the labels before applying any chemicals to your garden.

-This past summer with the weeks and weeks of heat, caused a bug explosion, and it is possible you have experienced some issues in your yard- either from bugs or fungus:

FAQ’s

My plants are covered in a black fungus! What do I do?

This is very confusing for customers as the first inclination is to spray with a fungicide to remove the black fungus from the foliage.  While this will help eradicate the sooty mold it will not cure the underlying problem of a bug infestation-usually aphids, whiteflies, or scale.  If your plants are quite black those bugs have been there for a while.  Treat your plants with an insecticide that will remove and control the bugs to keep your plants fungus free.  Horticultural Oil or Spinosad are two good products to use.

I have black spots on my leaves and my plant is dropping leaves.

Often, this is fungus, caused by too much water, high humidity and lack of air circulation. Fixing the source of the problem is the first step- manage how much water you are putting out with your irrigation system.  You cannot control the rain or the humidity, but you can control the amount of water you are adding.  Secondly, fungicides can be used to help control the spread of the fungus. Fungicides are mostly preventative so when spraying, you are preventing the fungus from spreading into new growth.  Often, once we get farther into the fall and the lack of rain it brings, fungus will fix itself.

When can I trim…..?? or, can I trim now….?

Most of the trimming should be done by now.  Trimming encourages new growth so plants that have been trimmed prior to now will be able to harden off new growth prior to freezing.  Hardy shrubbery like viburnum, ligustrum or hollies or trees like oaks and maples may be pruned in the winter, however all other flowering, semi-tropical and tropical plants should be trimmed as little as possible until spring.

Crape Myrtles may be trimmed by the end of February.  “Crape Murder” – the practice trimming Crape Myrtles all the way back to the trunks, is not a recommended practice.  Shaping a tree, removing crossing branches and suckers are all good practices but trimming branches back that are larger than the diameter of your little finger, is not.  Repeatedly doing this not only causes unsightly gnarls and galls but will shorten the life of your tree.

Trimming Crape Myrtles too early can cause a flush of new growth if warmer temperatures occur, which will cause damage when another freeze occurs.

Our professionals at VerdeGo can assist with many of your garden problems! Stop by and ask us.