Magnolia Landscape Supply BlogTips, tricks and answers to your frequently asked lawn and garden questions.https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-TipsSeptember Tid Bitshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1068/september-tid-bitsGeneral,Lawn & Garden Tips,Trees & ShrubsFri, 09 Sep 2016 18:41:16 GMT<h1>PLANTING</h1> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px;"><strong><img src="http://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/Portals/magnolialandscape/Bigstock_74822836.jpg" alt="planting tips, magnolia landscape supply" style="height: 188px; width: 250px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px;" />Fall is the optimal time&nbsp;to select and plant trees and shrubs. Planting in the fall encourages a good root development, which allows the plants to get established before spring.</strong></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">You should consider planting deciduous trees on the south and west sides of structures to provide summer shade and it would also not block the winter sun which aids in warming the structure.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">October&nbsp;is the time for planting winter pansies,snapdragons, pinks, flowering kale, flowering cabbage and fall mums when the summer&rsquo;s flowers have faded away but now is the time to prep those flower beds. It is just too hot to go ahead and plant these. If we get an early fall snap you might consider planting late September but they are fall weather plants.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">You&nbsp;can divide the crowded perennials just remember to amend your soil before replanting. You should set the divided plants back into the soil at their original height planted as before, water them in well and mulch.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Before you bring your&nbsp;potted tropicals like hibiscus, allamanda, ixora or mandevilla inside for the winter. See if they need to be repotted. If so ease the root ball out of the pot so as not to lose much of the existing soil. If the roots are visibly matted around the bottom or sides of the root ball, it is time to pot into a larger container.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Warm Season lawns&nbsp;like&nbsp;Bermuda and Zoysia should not fertilized now. You can over-seed lawns with fresh seed to help fill in the bare spots and crowd out weeds and mosses.&nbsp;If you choose to over-seed your warm-season lawn with a temporary winter lawn grass like annual rye grass, the best dates to do this are from September 1 until November 1. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <h2>FERTILIZE</h2> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">As stated above&nbsp;this is not the time to fertilize warm-season grasses.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">It is recommended that you take soil tests for your lawn and planting areas.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Fall is the time&nbsp;to apply lime&nbsp;as needed. It takes several months to react with acid in your soil to raise the PH to optimal levels. An optimal PH for most plants and lawn is between 6 and 7. Having the proper PH enables your lawn and other plants to utilize the fertilizer in the most efficient way. This results in better plant growth and savings of fertilizer costs. Doing this now, would prepare you for next years spring growth.</p> <h2>PRUNE</h2> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Revitalize your&nbsp;heat-stressed geraniums or begonias for the upcoming fall season by lightly&nbsp;&nbsp; pruning, fertilizing and watering.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Remember to not&nbsp;cut back perennials until their leaves and stems have lost all green color.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Prune houseplants&nbsp;that grew so well during the summer while outdoors before you bring them inside.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; You can lightly prune out&nbsp;dead and/or diseased wood from your trees and shrubs now, but hold off on major pruning until about mid-winter. Pruning now may stimulate tender new growth prior to frost.</p> <h2>WATER</h2> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Fall is a good time&nbsp;to replenish your mulches around trees and shrubs, and water every three to five days. Since it has been a wet summer, you should spot check on what needs watering.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Your outdoor container&nbsp;plants need to be checked for water as well.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">During the late summer,&nbsp;when pecan kernels are forming, is a critical time for moisture stress.&nbsp; Pecans should get at least one inch of water weekly. Mature trees can lose hundreds of gallons of water daily through transpiration; unless this lost moisture is replaced, the trees will lose fruit and leaves. Also it would be advisable to mow around the trees to remove vegetation that can use the trees&rsquo; moisture. Mowing also creates a smooth surface for harvesting. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <h2>PEST CONTROL</h2> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Remove any diseased plants&nbsp;as soon as you spot it, as well as those that are finished and dying off for the year. Your healthy plant material can be composted.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Keep all fallen fruit&nbsp;cleaned up to deter pests and disease.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Keep up with your spray schedule&nbsp;on roses since blackspot and mildew can be extremely damaging in September and October.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Selective applications&nbsp;of herbicides on perennial weeds are very effective during the fall while the weeds are storing nutrients in their roots for winter.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Slugs are especially active&nbsp;in September &ndash; you should apply slug bait, diatomaceous earth or other slug-control products. Slugs lay clusters of eggs about the size of a small BB. They would usually be under stones, boards and around the edge of your lawn for these colorless eggs and destroy any you find.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">To have a&nbsp;lesser fire ant problem next spring, you should get them this fall. See your Quality Co-op store personnel for details.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">While you are pruning and/or repotting your houseplants&nbsp;that have spent summers outside, you should check them for any sign of insect or disease before bringing them indoors. Gradually reintroduce these plants to indoor conditions.</p> <h2>ODD JOBS</h2> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; The beginning of fall&nbsp;(autumnal equinox) is Thursday September 22.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; You can remove stakes&nbsp;and cages as summer plants finish for the year, and stake tall-growing autumn blooms like salvia, dahlias and chrysanthemums.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; If you will be planting&nbsp;blueberries, rhododendrons or blue hydrangeas, you should prepare the soil now for a spring planting. Add sulfur according to soil test to lower pH. Add organic matter like leaf compost.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Consider building a cold frame&nbsp;to extend the growing season.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Fall is a wonderful time for&nbsp;sumptuous decorating. The richer colors, dried seed pods and grasses, and ample harvest provide supplies for some wonderful centerpieces, swags and crafts. Let your imagination be your guide.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; For the&nbsp;Christmas cactus you should start holding back on water and fertilizer until the buds appear.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Rake up any fallen leaves&nbsp;and compost them. If you don&rsquo;t have a compost bin or heap, September is a good time to begin one. You can layer grass clippings, dried fallen leaves, soil, a handful of fertilizer and a little moisture. Shredded garden debris can be added as annuals and perennials die back.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; If you have an existing compost heap, now is the time to&nbsp;give it another turn.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot;&nbsp;Give your big trees a good once over:&nbsp;be on the lookout for dead or splitting branches, cavities or rotten wood along trunks or branches, mushrooms at the base, cracks or splits in trunks, and trees that have been topped or heavily pruned. If you see any signs of hazards, call a professional tree service. Also trim any tree limbs dangerously close to your roof.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Consider marking your perennials&nbsp;with permanent tags or create a map, a good thing to have in a garden journal, showing their locations so you&rsquo;ll know where and what they are when they die back at the end of the season. This will help you to avoid digging up something you intended to keep when you plant bulbs and plants this fall and next spring.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Keep those weeds at bay&nbsp;will help to improve the appearance of your garden and the health of your plants.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">&middot; Don&rsquo;t forget the birds&nbsp;will soon begin their winter migrations. Put out extra bird feeders to build up their strength before their long journey. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div><br /> </div>1068Sago's and Scalehttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1066/sagos-and-scaleGeneral,Lawn & Garden Tips,Palm TreesFri, 02 Sep 2016 19:40:03 GMT<p>The latest tidbit to cross our paths is regarding Scale on Sago's. It is an organic route and i<span>t does takes a while to show the benefits but by this time next year your Sago's could be scale free. What is it? </span>&nbsp;<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coffee Grinds.</span></strong> We have heard w<span>ith continual application of coffee grinds&nbsp;</span>to the surrounding ground of your Sago it can be an effective treatment in eliminating the scale on the Sago's. This is an ongoing application as is any routine to keep the plants healthy. Give it a try, it could save you a lot of aggravation and added expense trying to keep the scale off your Sago's.</p>1066April Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1047/april-tipsGeneral,Hydrangeas,Lawn & Garden TipsFri, 25 Mar 2016 17:32:30 GMT<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>APRIL AND MAY TIDBITS</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>PLANT- Plant red or orange flowers to help attract the hummingbirds if you want them to come. There are many annuals, perennials and woody plants they like. Just to name a couple, begonia, zinnia, impatiens, lantana, bottlebrush, hibiscus, and honeysuckle</span><b><span>.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;Plant herbs such as thyme, safe, parsley, chives and basil. Some shrubs are azalea, honeysuckle, lilac, red weigela, beautybush, coralberry, New Jersey tea and Siberian pea shrub. Start planting out warm season annuals such as impatiens, marigolds, petunias, sunflowers, zinnia, lobelia, and allysum. Finish planting summer flowering bulbs like tuberose, gladiolus, dahlias, and callas. Plant chervil, coriander, dill, rosemary, and summer savory outside after the last spring frost.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">*If you make a layout of your flowerbeds as your current plants are coming up, you will know where you can plant your spring flowering bulbs in the fall or where you have room for annuals etc. This will make for a continuous blooming show. This will also help you to divide your overcrowded beds (if they are) and give everything room to grow and mature.</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>Hydrangea is a plant that is not only a great gift by its self, but also transplants well into your yard for added interest. Hydrangeas are a plant that it&rsquo;s bloom color is dictated by the soil PH level.&nbsp; If you have an alkaline soil you will most likely have Pink flowers or you can work lime into the soil to encourage Pink blooms, and vice versa if you have an acidic soil you will most likely have Blue flowers or work aluminum sulphate into the soil to encourage Blue blooms.&nbsp; If you have a white hydrangea, it won&rsquo;t be affected by the soil PH. They prefer a well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>March was the last threat of frost for us here so your frost tender plants would be fine outside now. These would include any citrus, geraniums, hibiscus, Mandevilla and bougainvillea you have kept inside for the winter.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>FERTILIZE &ndash; Start feeding your potted plants every two to three weeks with liquid fertilizer at half the strength. You can fertilize most everything right now except the spring flowering shrubs like azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons until they have finished blooming. You can use an acid based fertilizer.&nbsp; Apply a high nitrogen fertilizer (a good mix would be 16-4-8) to your summer lawn (St Augustine, Zoysia, Bermuda and Centipede) to encourage a healthy looking yard.&nbsp; Roses have a need for feed; they want to be fertilized regularly. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer ever 4 to 6 weeks as the new growth starts after they flower. If you are finding moss in your lawn, try adding Lime as your soil&rsquo;s PH level is low. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>*Quick tip: on your fertilizer bag there will be 3 numbers printed such as 10-10-10 or 15-0-15. These numbers represent the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium proportion of each in the fertilizer. I read somewhere (loosely translated) this cute way to remember what they are for: N (nitrogen) for the green; P (Phosphorus) is for the bloom; K (potassium) is for the roots or all over body of the plant. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>PRUNE &ndash; Don&rsquo;t forget, prime time to prune your azaleas, camellias, and all other blooming shrubs, are when flowering is finished before new buds are set on. Prune spring-flowering shrubs and trees when they are finished blooming too. Once new growth begins on your trees/shrubs, cut back any twigs damaged by the frost, to the green wood.&nbsp; Cut back ornamental grasses right before new growth and your evergreen grasses can be trimmed to remove the brown leaves and leaf tips. Remove any sucker growth from your fruit trees as they appear. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>WATER &ndash; Everything loves water, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">especially your potted plants if they are sitting in the sun on the patio/deck/porch</span>. The pot retains the heat of the sun, and the soil will dry out faster than the ground would. Regularly feel the soil for dampness to make sure you don&rsquo;t over water.&nbsp; Consider purchasing a hose end shut-off valve. This way you can shut it off when you move around the yard and also you won&rsquo;t have to leave the water running as you walk to the hose bibb to shut it off<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">. With the excess rain we&rsquo;ve had, it is important to let your existing yard dry out, only water newly planted sod or plants.</span></b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>PEST CONTROL &ndash; You can use a strong stream of water (or a safe soap product) to wash away the aphids from your plants to keep them from taking over your plants. Begin watching roses for black spot fungus disease (black spots on the leaves that get worse. You will need to use a fungicide, as recommended for the your product, about every 7 to 10 days a good spraying should control it.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>LAWN &ndash; Replace any dead or damaged spots in the lawn with plugs or pieces of your existing grass type. Keep your lawn watered well if the weather is dry, you can safely apply &frac34; to 1&rdquo; of water at each watering as needed. Watch your grass. If the blades fold in the evening you should water the next morning, usually between 4am and 9am are ideal times when the season temps have gotten hot (over 80 degrees). You shouldn&rsquo;t need to water more than twice a week. If the season temps are milder (less than 80) water about once a week. If you have a new lawn installed, water frequently but lightly for the first two weeks. You can gradually decrease to a normal cycle once it has begun to take root. If you have uneven areas, try using sand to fill in right over the grass, being careful not to completely cover the grass blades (no more than an inch at a time). Resist the urge to cut your grass low, this only exposes more of the soil/roots to the sun and that opens up the possibility of weeds popping up and increases the water evaporation causing more dryness to your grass.&nbsp; Consider moving your St Augustine at about 2&rdquo; to 3&rdquo;, or Centipede at about 1 &frac12;&rdquo;. Recycle your grass clippings by allowing them to stay where they lay. If you remove the clippings and don&rsquo;t allow them to decompose back into the soil, you are removing some of your fertilizer as it is in/on the blades you cut. Regular grass cutting doesn&rsquo;t cause a thatch to build up, as you aren&rsquo;t cutting off 3 and 4 week old long blades. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>MISC &ndash; Keep your weeds under control. Most weeds are an annual and will go away if not allowed to go to seed. Mulch or pine straw help to discourage weed growth, so consider them for your flowerbeds.&nbsp; Remove any spent blooms if you don&rsquo;t want to save them for seeds, to aid in your plants health as it consumes the plant&rsquo;s energy. In some plants it aids to promote more blooms for the season.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>With all the pruning, plucking, picking, and weeding you will have an abundance of resources for your compost pile. If you haven&rsquo;t begun one, now is a great time.&nbsp; Turn it frequently and keep it damp to promote the breakdown.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p>1047