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Cooperative Extension Service |
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Agricultural
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Arbor Day
Dale Bumpers College
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Gardening CalendarBy now your plants should fully have leafed out and begun growing. If you have any plants or branches that have not leafed out, begin pruning. Some damage is still lingering from last Easter’s freeze. Also, if you had severe damage, you will need several years’ worth of good pruning to reshape the plants. How well you prune a young plant can help determine how well it grows in future years. Look for branches that cross over or that have weak crotch angles. Too many trunks or branches on top of each other will eventually lead to problems. By now all of your spring blooming shrubs should have finished blooming, and your pruning jobs should have been done. If you got too busy to do so, and your plants are in need of trimming, do so as soon as possible. The later you wait, the hotter and drier it becomes and plants don’t grow as quickly. Recovery will be slower and if too slow, your flower bud set for next season will be reduced. Keep in mind that spring blooming shrubs set flower buds in late August to September and we need ample time for the plants to recover and grow. If you have not fertilized yet this season, do the one application now as well. Follow label directions as to rates and do remember that it is better to err on the side of too little versus too much. Vegetable gardens are in full swing. We are busy harvesting the cool season crops that linger and the warm season plants are beginning to kick in and grow. It won’t be long before we harvest the first tomato! But if you haven’t planted your vegetables yet, there is still time. There is also time to plant pumpkins, gourds and winter squash. Soil temperatures have warmed up and these plants will get established quickly if you water. Make sure all plants in the garden are mulched - this reduces weeds, prevents soil from splashing onto the stems and fruit, and moderates soil temperature and moisture levels. Water is still the most vital ingredient for success, but do pay attention to fertilizer needs and monitor for diseases and insects. Typically June is when we begin to see the first signs of blossom end rot - that soft black rot that appears on the bottom of some tomatoes. It is a calcium deficiency - not a disease, but it is made worse by huge swings of moisture levels. Mulching will definitely help. Every year in late August and September, county agents get lots of calls from home owners about silvery looking azaleas. Lacebugs are the culprit, but by August or September the damage is done and there is nothing you can do. These sucking insects feast on the underside of your azalea leaves. The feeding typically begins in May and multiple generations are building up now. Check your plants for this problem, and if you see white specks on the upper surface of the leaves and black specks on the undersurface, spray now with Orthene. Monitor your gardenia bushes for whitefly. They are a constant pest in some landscapes. Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub insecticide will help, but it is better to apply it earlier in the season. Resmethrin can help now. By now, most of your spring bulbs should be dying back. For many, the six to eight week green growing season has passed and you can safely cut the foliage back. You don’t have to wait for it to thoroughly die, as long as you gave it the full six weeks. Bulbs need this period of time to replenish the flowers inside. If we cut back too soon, we may not have as many flowers next year. If you let them grow past eight weeks it really makes no difference on the display. Tropical blooming plants are hitting their stride now. The hotter and more humid it gets, the better they like it. Consider using them in the ground as summer annuals or in containers. Flowering hibiscus, mandevilla, bougainvillea, tibouchina, and ixora can add a lot of color. Fertilize them regularly for constant blooms. Sunlight is needed for excellent flowering. Summer annuals are still available at local nurseries and garden centers. From foliage plants to flowering plants there are plenty of options. Concentrate your color in areas where you can make the most impact and fertilize regularly. Deadhead those plants that set seeds, so that the energy goes back into flowering and not seed production. The same is true of summer perennials. We have great flowers now on daylilies, purple coneflower, coreopsis and Shasta daisies. If you remove the spent flowers you will continue to see great flower production. If you don’t you may see lots of seed pods. Make sure your gardens are in good shape now before the real heat of summer hits. Mulch, water and plant now to prepare for the coming months. If you have plants in containers, remember the larger the pot, the easier they are to maintain. |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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