Magnolia Landscape Supply BlogTips, tricks and answers to your frequently asked lawn and garden questions.https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-TipsJune FAQhttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1082/june-faqLawn & Garden TipsMon, 30 May 2022 13:53:26 GMT<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">June</h1> <p><strong><strong>Planting-</strong></strong>&nbsp;Bulbs such as iris and daylilies can be divided even when they are blooming. This would be an opportune time if you have different colors and want to work with them for the current season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Simply cut off the existing flowers and cut the leaves back, dig and divide and replant as soon as possible, or you can tag the colors for later dividing.&nbsp;When you purchase container plants, check the root ball and loosen the roots if they are tightly wound in the pot. You need to keep as much dirt intact on the roots as possible as this will help the roots to acclimate to their new location.&nbsp;Whether it is your accent plants or your focal point for your yard, many people prefer to buy trees and shrubs while in bloom to make sure the colors are what they like such as the Hydrangea, Crape myrtle, Oleander or Magnolia.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong>Fertilizing&nbsp;</strong>- Don&rsquo;t miss out on the opportunity to fertilize your plants. Not just for the health and growth of your plants but also for your blooming plants to help produce more and better and ater well after fertilizing.</p> <p>Azaleas and camellias should be fertilized right after they have finished blooming and roses after each bloom time. We carry fertilizers specifically for your blooming needs.&nbsp;</p> <p>Container gardens are a beautiful addition to your patio or porches but they will need additional attention such as fertilizer.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can give them regular doses of a water-soluble fertilizer or try a slow release granular fertilizer that will release a little every time you water.</p> <p><strong>Watering/Irrigation</strong>&nbsp;- Most professionals will recommend that watering be done in the morning for the most benefit including helping to slow down evaporation of the water. But if you find your plants/lawn are drying out due to an extremely hot summer and/or drought time, go ahead and give them more water perhaps in the early afternoon. Also, check your container plants, they will dry out quicker.</p> <p>Mulch is a good addition to your flower beds and plantings, it helps to shade the soil and keep it cooler which helps retain moisture during the hot days.</p> <p>If you have irrigation, keep an eye out for broken sprinkler heads. This will help you avoid dry areas and wasted water. Consider having a &ldquo;Rain Check&rdquo; control added to your system. This helps reduce over watering by not allowing your system to water after a rain shower. As the plants grow they may interfere with the sprinkler so keep things trimmed back.</p> <p>It is a good idea to water slowly and deeply. This will encourage your plants to grow deeper roots. That can make them more stable and keeps the roots away from the upper drier soil.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Pruning and Maintenance</strong>&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is possible to have roses, and some perennials re-bloom. The best way to encourage it is to &ldquo;dead head&rdquo; your plant by removing the old blooms. Annuals can also be deadheaded and re-bloom most of the summer. Your hanging baskets will benefit as well with a good once over for dead blooms and shaping.</p> <p>Pinch back any of your plants that seem to be getting leggy and out of shape. Whether it&rsquo;s an annual or perennial, pruning your plant helps make it healthier and look better. Most evergreens benefit from pruning. The optimum time would be around June and July.</p> <p>For maximum flavor of your herbs, pick or harvest just before flowering as the leaves have the most oil content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Miscellaneous&nbsp;</strong>- To help you keep up with what you have planted, where it is, and info on the plants, try keeping up with this in a notebook or on your computer. This information can save you time and money. You can look back and see which plant needed what fertilizer, when and so on.</p> <p>Avoid the heat and humidity of our hot summers by working in the early a.m. or later afternoon into the evening makes the time you spend working in the yards a little easier.</p> <p>While you are out in the yard working in your lawn and gardens, involve your kids or grand kids. Have them help you weed, plant or most anything. It is good exercise, and helps them to learn that sense of pride of a job well done. Being outside, helping, is time spent with you they will never forget.</p> <p>&nbsp;Speaking of weeding, if you weed in your flowerbeds on a regular basis it makes that chore a little easier to deal with. Ground cloth or mulch is good for weed prevention also.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you put mulch around woody plants don&rsquo;t pile it on close around the trunks. Just a couple inches deep starting a few inches away is plenty.</p> <p>If you have a compost heap or bins, remember the heat of the summer can also dry them out. Moisture is the key and it should also be turned regularly to aide in the natural decomposition.</p> <p>Stake tall flowers to keep them from blowing over and tie up your climbing roses or other vines for a more secure plant. Make sure any plant or tree you have ties on are loose enough so as not to cut into the stems.</p> <p><strong>Pests</strong>&nbsp;- Is there something eating at your plant&rsquo;s leaves/stem/bloom? Do you have a white/gray/black residue on it? You should always research your problem to identify what is actually going on with your plant. This will lead you to the best solution but you will need the most information of the problem.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is wise as well, to chose the lest toxic solution and follow the directions completely.</p> <p>Roses are prone to mildew, black spot, aphids and other diseases and insect.&nbsp;&nbsp;Identify and take action. The sooner you identify the problem and take action, the better your plant will be.</p> <p>It seems that the ever so vital honeybee, maybe suffering from the pesticides sold on the shelves as well as the pest they were designed for. Just a couple tweaks in our pesticide application habits will aide in the promotion of their population. Try using a liquid pesticide instead of a dust and try applying later in the afternoon/evening when the bees are mostly heading back to the hive.</p> <p>Here at Magnolia Landscape Supply, we have a large selection of pesticides, we can help you identify the problem and find a solution.</p> <p><strong>Lawn&nbsp;</strong>- If your lawn seems compacted, hard for water to absorb or have a nematode problem, you may want to aerate your lawn. We have an aerator for rent here at Magnolia Landscape Supply.&nbsp;</p> <p>A good rule of thumb for mowing is to cut off no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at each mowing. If your grass is &ldquo;growing like a weed&rdquo;, try more frequent mowing to maintain better grass. As for your St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses, they would be better off at a mowed height of around 3&rdquo;. This helps to shade the soil and saves the moisture in the soil.</p> <p>To prevent the ragged cut of a grass blade, keep your mower blades sharp.</p> <p>You should consider leaving the trimmings, if there isn&rsquo;t an excessive amount due to overgrowth. The trimmings will make their way to the soil, returning nitrogen of the grass back to the soil.</p> <p>If you have an area that is too shady for grass, try using ground cover plants or a mulch.</p> <p>One secret to having the appearance of a professionally mowed lawn, is to keep a nice clean edge around the flowerbeds, sidewalk, driveway, etc. so pull out the edger or grass shears and keep it neat and tidy.</p> <div><br /> </div>1082Spring Lawn & Garden Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/8/spring-lawn-garden-tipsLawn & Garden TipsFri, 10 Mar 2017 19:45:55 GMT<p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/magnolialandscape/spring%20garden%20tips.jpg" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px;" />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><strong style="color: #333333; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">.&nbsp;<span style="background: transparent;"><br /> </span></span></strong></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">&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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">*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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">*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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">WATER &ndash; Everything loves water,&nbsp;<span style="background: transparent;">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<strong style="color: #333333; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">. 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></strong></span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: transparent;">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>8September 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>1066June Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/24/june-tipsLawn & Garden TipsTue, 21 Jun 2016 18:15:49 GMT<p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span></p> <h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">June </span></h1> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"><strong><strong>Planting-</strong></strong> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Bulbs such as iris and daylilies can be divided even when they are blooming. This would be an opportune time if you have different colors and want to work with them for the current season.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Simply cut off the existing flowers and cut the leaves back, dig and divide and replant as soon as possible, or you can tag the colors for later dividing. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">When you purchase container plants, check the root ball and loosen the roots if they are tightly wound in the pot. You need to keep as much dirt intact on the roots as possible as this will help the roots to acclimate to their new location. </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Whether it is your accent plants or your focal point for your yard, many people prefer to buy trees and shrubs while in bloom to make sure the colors are what they like such as the Hydrangea, Crape myrtle, Oleander or Magnolia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"><strong>Fertilizing </strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Don&rsquo;t miss out on the opportunity to fertilize your plants. Not just for the health and growth of your plants but also for your blooming plants to help produce more and better and ater well after fertilizing.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Azaleas and camellias should be fertilized right after they have finished blooming and roses after each bloom time. We carry fertilizers specifically for your blooming needs.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Container gardens are a beautiful addition to your patio or porches but they will need additional attention such as fertilizer.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">You can give them regular doses of a water-soluble fertilizer or try a slow release granular fertilizer that will release a little every time you water.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: Enchanted;">Watering/Irrigation</span></strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"> - Most professionals will recommend that watering be done in the morning for the most benefit including helping to slow down evaporation of the water. But if you find your plants/lawn are drying out due to an extremely hot summer and/or drought time, go ahead and give them more water perhaps in the early afternoon. Also, check your container plants, they will dry out quicker.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Mulch is a good addition to your flower beds and plantings, it helps to shade the soil and keep it cooler which helps retain moisture during the hot days.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">If you have irrigation, keep an eye out for broken sprinkler heads. This will help you avoid dry areas and wasted water. Consider having a &ldquo;Rain Check&rdquo; control added to your system. This helps reduce over watering by not allowing your system to water after a rain shower. As the plants grow they may interfere with the sprinkler so keep things trimmed back. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">It is a good idea to water slowly and deeply. This will encourage your plants to grow deeper roots. That can make them more stable and keeps the roots away from the upper drier soil.&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Pruning and Maintenance</span></strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">It is possible to have roses, and some perennials re-bloom. The best way to encourage it is to &ldquo;dead head&rdquo; your plant by removing the old blooms. Annuals can also be deadheaded and re-bloom most of the summer. Your hanging baskets will benefit as well with a good once over for dead blooms and shaping.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Pinch back any of your plants that seem to be getting leggy and out of shape. Whether it&rsquo;s an annual or perennial, pruning your plant helps make it healthier and look better. Most evergreens benefit from pruning. The optimum time would be around June and July.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">For maximum flavor of your herbs, pick or harvest just before flowering as the leaves have the most oil content.</span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"><strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;">Miscellaneous </span></strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;">- To help you keep up with what you have planted, where it is, and info on the plants, try keeping up with this in a notebook or on your computer. This information can save you time and money. You can look back and see which plant needed what fertilizer, when and so on. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Avoid the heat and humidity of our hot summers by working in the early a.m. or later afternoon into the evening makes the time you spend working in the yards a little easier. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">While you are out in the yard working in your lawn and gardens, involve your kids or grand kids. Have them help you weed, plant or most anything. It is good exercise, and helps them to learn that sense of pride of a job well done. Being outside, helping, is time spent with you they will never forget.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Speaking of weeding, if you weed in your flowerbeds on a regular basis it makes that chore a little easier to deal with. Ground cloth or mulch is good for weed prevention also.</span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">If you put mulch around woody plants don&rsquo;t pile it on close around the trunks. Just a couple inches deep starting a few inches away is plenty. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">If you have a compost heap or bins, remember the heat of the summer can also dry them out. Moisture is the key and it should also be turned regularly to aide in the natural decomposition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Stake tall flowers to keep them from blowing over and tie up your climbing roses or other vines for a more secure plant. Make sure any plant or tree you have ties on are loose enough so as not to cut into the stems.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Pests</span></strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> - Is there something eating at your plant&rsquo;s leaves/stem/bloom? Do you have a white/gray/black residue on it? You should always research your problem to identify what is actually going on with your plant. This will lead you to the best solution but you will need the most information of the problem.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">It is wise as well, to chose the lest toxic solution and follow the directions completely. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Roses are prone to mildew, black spot, aphids and other diseases and insect.</span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Identify and take action. The sooner you identify the problem and take action, the better your plant will be. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">It seems that the ever so vital honeybee, maybe suffering from the pesticides sold on the shelves as well as the pest they were designed for. Just a couple tweaks in our pesticide application habits will aide in the promotion of their population. Try using a liquid pesticide instead of a dust and try applying later in the afternoon/evening when the bees are mostly heading back to the hive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">Here at Magnolia Landscape Supply, we have a large selection of pesticides, we can help you identify the problem and find a solution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"><strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;">Lawn </span></strong><span style="font-family: Enchanted;">- If your lawn seems compacted, hard for water to absorb or have a nematode problem, you may want to aerate your lawn. We have an aerator for rent here at Magnolia Landscape Supply.&nbsp; </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">A good rule of thumb for mowing is to cut off no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at each mowing. If your grass is &ldquo;growing like a weed&rdquo;, try more frequent mowing to maintain better grass. As for your St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses, they would be better off at a mowed height of around 3&rdquo;. This helps to shade the soil and saves the moisture in the soil. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">To prevent the ragged cut of a grass blade, keep your mower blades sharp.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">You should consider leaving the trimmings, if there isn&rsquo;t an excessive amount due to overgrowth. The trimmings will make their way to the soil, returning nitrogen of the grass back to the soil.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">If you have an area that is too shady for grass, try using ground cover plants or a mulch.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;"> </span><span style="font-family: Enchanted; font-size: 16px; color: #000000;">One secret to having the appearance of a professionally mowed lawn, is to keep a nice clean edge around the flowerbeds, sidewalk, driveway, etc. so pull out the edger or grass shears and keep it neat and tidy.</span></p>24April 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>1047Novemberhttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1031/novemberLawn & Garden TipsSat, 31 Oct 2015 22:27:00 GMT<h1 style="text-align: center;">NOVEMBER TIDBITS</h1> <h1> </h1> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">PLANT</span></h1> <h2>November through February is the best time to </h2> <h2>plant or transplant your container stock or existing trees and shrubs.</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Spring is the second best time to plant trees and shrubs, unless you are planting tender shrubs or flowers.</strong></p> <p><strong>There are several reasons that it is the optimal time such as:</strong></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;"> <li><strong>It&rsquo;s a pleasant time of year to work outside.</strong></li> <li><strong>Plants are dormant or going dormant and can be safely dug and replanted or container stock can be planted.</strong></li> <li><strong>It allows several months for the roots to get established before spring growth and the hot times of summer.</strong></li> </ol> <p>&middot; When transplanting make sure to dig a large enough root ball (get as much of the root system as is possible), get the plant back into the prepared soil as quickly as possible to keep the roots from drying out.</p> <p>&middot; Now is the time to replace your summer flowers with the more winter hardy ones. For the fall colors, look towards the Pansies and Violas. They are the number one choice for blooming-bedding plants. They are hardy and will bloom over the long season. They come in a wide range of colors also. Other bedding plants to consider include snapdragons, and dianthus. For colorful foliage, see the Croton or Ornamental kale/cabbage. </p> <p>&middot; Camellias will soon be coming into bloom. First the Sasanqua and later the popular Camellia japonica. Select new varieties for a winter planting while in flower.</p> <p>&middot; Don&rsquo;t forget, plants with berries can add color to the landscape.&nbsp; Pyracantha, Hollies, Nandina and Beautyberry are just a few of the choices available for bright, winter interest.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Citrus trees should have ripening summer fruit. Don&rsquo;t get too eager to harvest as most taste much better after a couple frosts, and fruit is a very colorful addition to the landscape. </p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">FERTILIZE</span></h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&middot; A soil test is recommended every two or three years. &nbsp;</p> <p>&middot; An ideal time to adjust high-acidic lawn and garden soil is late fall and early winter. Centipede is the exception but most grasses prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. And the only way to know whether your lawn is in need of an application of agricultural lime and how much is: &hellip;to have the soil&rsquo;s pH tested, however, most soils do not require yearly applications. Your soil test let&rsquo;s you know the proper fertilizer ratio to apply to lawn and shrubs.&nbsp; </p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">PRUNE</span></h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&middot; Begin gearing up for your tree pruning.&nbsp; Prune the dead limbs now before leaves fall will help to identify which limb needs to go, and any hazardous limbs that should be removed. Continue to hold off on major pruning for a couple of months as any unnecessary pruning now can still encourage new growth that would easily get freeze-damage in the event of frost/freeze.</p> <p>&middot; Don&rsquo;t get in a hurry to prune woody plants. Late December through February is typically the best time to prune them - even later into March for crape myrtles. Once the trees and shrubs are dormant, begin selective pruning those plants that don&rsquo;t bloom in the early spring</p> <p>&middot; You can shape your evergreens or berry plants, like holly and yaupon, now and the trimmings can be enjoyed as cut material inside the house. Use good pruning practices when selecting greenery from landscape plants. Don&rsquo;t destroy the natural form and beauty of the plant.</p> <p>&middot; Clean-up rose beds. Be sure all diseased leaves are raked and disposed to help reduce diseases next season.</p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <h1><span style="font-size: 28px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 34px; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'PT Sans', cursive; color: #df0b30;"> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">WATER</span></h1> </span></h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&middot; If you have drip irrigation you may consider turning it off now but, stay on top of the weather. Where there is no rain, you need to make sure to irrigate as the soil becomes dry.&nbsp; Dry roots are more easily injured by freezing temperatures. This is particularly true of evergreen plants. Moist soil can store more of the sun&rsquo;s energy and for a longer time than dry soil. This energy is released as heat after the sunsets and provides a degree or two of moderation.</p> <p>&middot; Also protect your lawn from excessive winter-damage by providing irrigation during dry periods</p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">PEST CONTROL</span></h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&middot; Inspect your trees and shrubs for bagworm capsules. Remove and destroy them to reduce next year&rsquo;s pest population.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; For fruit trees, it is a good time to apply the first application of dormant spray (the first of three applications needed between now and March 1st, to get the job done while trees are dormant). Most trees want a lime sulfur spray. Use copper for preventing Peach Leaf Curl. Also, scale and other hard-to-kill insect pests may be over wintering on your trees or shrubs. Pecan and fruit trees, euonymus, camellias and holly are favorite hosts. Spray with dormant oil, following label directions on the container to avoid plant damage. Protect any winter annuals from the oil spray.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Remove all old fruit from trees and rake and destroy those on the ground.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Rake leaves from around fruit trees to help control insect populations and remove disease-causing organisms over wintering on leaf debris. You will help reduce rodent populations by removing all fruit remaining on the tree or on the ground.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Protect trunks of fruit trees from rodent/rabbit damage with tree wraps.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Remember, every weed pulled now will be many less to pull in spring.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Control dandelions, henbit and chickweed before spring green up.</p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <h1><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ODD JOBS</span></h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Winter heating dries the air out in your home considerably which will dry out your houseplants too. Help them by misting them or placing the pots on a pebble-filled tray of water to ensure adequate humidity and moisture.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Make sure the canes of climbing roses and other vining plants are securely fastened to their supports. Winter winds can severely damage unprotected plants. Also, any newly planted trees or shrubs should be staked to protect them from wind during winter storms. Keep them staked until the roots have a chance to develop and anchor them.</p> <p><strong>&middot; Keep leaves raked</strong> from the lawn. They should be composted. This would also be a good time to just mow over them, turning them to mulch, which adds important nutrients back to the lawn.</p> <p><strong>&middot; Check the mulch</strong> throughout the landscape. It&rsquo;s a good practice to keep about a three-inch layer of organic mulch around all plants year-round, so add more to any bare or thin spots. The mulch will help keep the soil and plant roots warm. However, avoid piling mulch up against the trunks and stems of your plants.</p> <p>&nbsp; &middot; Collect dried seedpods, grass stalks, seed heads and other dried plant materials, as well as your trimmings from your berrying shrubs for use in making flower or plant arrangements. </p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Start a compost pile with fall garden debris.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; If you have deciduous trees, keep on top of the leaves. If you compost, you should shred the leaves before composting or run a lawn mower over them. If not, they can mat and take forever to decompose, making a slippery, gooey mass in your compost pile or beds.</p> <p>&nbsp;&middot; Winter sun can scald newly planted trees. Protect them by wrapping the trunks with special tree wrapping tape. Add four to six inches of shredded bark, wood chips or leaves around the base of the tree. After applying, gently pull mulch away from the base. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>1031August 2015https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1027/august-2015Lawn & Garden TipsThu, 27 Aug 2015 17:05:04 GMT<div class="itemIntroText" style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px;"> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">PLANTING&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Be planning your fall beds and plantings. This is the time for the soil prep.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">All container-grown perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted. Make sure to prepare your soil by mixing good-sized quantities of a processed manure, and compost in with your existing soil to amend it.</p> <h3 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&nbsp;</h3> <h2>FERTILIZE</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is a good time to test your soil for fall fertilization requirements, if you haven&rsquo;t had it done in the last three years or so.&nbsp; A soil test would make you better prepared to add what it needs. This will save time and money, rather than add anything and everything needlessly. I have heard it put something like this: adding lime or fertilizer to untested soil is like adding salt to your food without tasting it first.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Woody plants and roses should only be fertilized now as needed. It can stimulate new growth that would not have time to harden off before winter. Discontinue altogether after Labor Day.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Keep your annuals blooming possibly right on into fall, by watering and fertilizing.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- You can continue feeding your houseplants as usual with a good slow release granular fertilizer.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Keep up the good work on fertilizing your container and hanging basket plants. If you have been using a liquid, try a slow release during this extra watering time. It can cut back on your labor while maintaining their health and beauty.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- If your hibiscus foliage is beginning to yellow it could be lack of iron. You can drench to soil around the base of the plant with a liquid iron (always follow label directions exactly) and you should see your foliage begin to green up within a week or so.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">-To turn a Pink Hydrangea blue, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate. To turn a Blue Hydrangea pink, add ground limestone.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">PRUNE</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Most woody plants and shrubs should be pruned of the dead or diseased wood. You can do minor pruning of tips and such but save the major pruning until later in winter.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Go ahead and clip your evergreen hedges as needed. This should hold them over until next spring.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- If your petunias are leggy and need reviving, try cutting them back to about six inches and feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer, as the label directs. This allows for root drenching and foliar feeding. Your plants should be flowering again within a couple weeks or so.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Perennials and rose bushes would benefit from a minor pruning and the crape myrtles faded flowers can be trimmed off to encourage a re-bloom.</p> </div> <div class="itemFullText" style="color: #7b8181;"> <h2 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;">WATER</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; The main thing to keep an eye on in August is water. Make sure you water deeply and thoroughly&nbsp;&nbsp; to get the most benefit of it.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Keep an eye on your azaleas and camellias. Meeting their water needs will help assure the future blooms to be the best they can be.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">- Container plants, and hanging baskets need to check every day because of the summer heat, and it is wise to check below the surface. Poke your finger in the soil; see for yourself if the ground over an inch down is dry or moist. This will help prevent you from over watering also.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Your compost also needs to be moistened regularly to keep it active.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Your sod may become extremely dry due to no rain or no irrigation, if so consider watering it before you mow. If you mow it in that extreme condition, it can stress the sod and expose it to the heat of the sun and drying effect of the wind.</p> <h3 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;"></h3> <h2>PEST CONTROL</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Always follow the label directions of any chemical you use, EXACTLY.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Fruit trees should be on a regular spray program. Check with us here at Magnolia Landscape Supply for suggestions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Always clean up all fallen fruit from your fruit trees and any fallen rose leaves, to help reduce pests and diseases next year.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Remove any old plants that are not producing any longer, to eliminate a breeding grounds for insects and disease organisms</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; If you need to, apply a fungicide to the lawn to control turf diseases like brown patch, dollar spot and others.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquito larvae so keep an eye for it. Empty out where you see it and don&rsquo;t forget to change the water in your birdbath often so it doesn&rsquo;t become a breeding ground too.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Control weeds before they go to seed. Those seed are another batch of trouble for next year. Weeds can also use up the water and nutrients that your plants need, as well as can get too big and push out your plants. They also harbor disease and insects.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Roses would benefit from a spraying of a rose fungicide like the Bayer All in One Rose and Flower Care that we carry, to keep black spot and other problems under control.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; White flies are attracted to yellow, so use yellow sticky boards to reduce or monitor their population.</p> <h2 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;">MISC</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Imagine the beautiful color of the plants in containers or hanging baskets around your patio or on the porch. Use a potting mix when planting them and add Hydrostretch, which is a water-holding polymer. It will help to reduce the frequency of watering.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Try raising the cutting height of your lawnmower during the hottest part of summer. The longer blades of your sod will provide a little extra shade for its roots and also acts as insulation, helping retain moisture in the soil.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Establish a new compost pile to accommodate the extra grass clippings of summer and future fall leaves, but don&rsquo;t put weeds with mature seed heads in as they can germinate next year when you use this compost. If you have used an herbicide on your grass this year, wait two or three mowings before collecting the clippings to add to a compost pile but remember, it&rsquo;s a good thing to let the clippings work for you in the yard. They are beneficial to your soil by returning nutrients back into the soil and like mulch, they aid in sheltering the soil from the drying sun and wind.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&middot; Hummingbirds will be migrating back through during August. Think about them when putting in any new perennials and don&rsquo;t forget to get the feeders ready.</p> <div><br /> </div> </div>1027July Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1026/july-tipsHydrangeas,Lawn & Garden TipsFri, 03 Jul 2015 19:16:24 GMT<div class="itemIntroText" style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/Portals/magnolialandscape/Crapemyrtle/Tonto_thumb.jpg" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 24px;">&nbsp;Planting </span> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Get your flower beds noticed with all the color of the Coleus, hibiscus, penta, plumbago, marigold, zinnia, periwinkle, petunia, ageratum, just to name a few.&nbsp; These plants are not only showy, they are heat and drought resistant and a good addition to any flowerbed.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your houseplants can spend the summer outdoors. Assure they are sheltered from the sun&rsquo;s direct rays and any hard winds/rain. Feed and water them regularly.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Fertilizing</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Now is the time for the second and last fertilize application for the centipede yards and you can fertilize Zoysia lawns now with the lawn fertilizer 16-4-8.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Palms are in active growth cycle during the summer and need the extra magnesium sulfate. You can use an 8-2-12. We carry a complete line of Palm Fertilizers from 5 to 50 lbs as well as Magnesium Sulfate.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Most trees &amp; shrubs are poised for a second flush of growth and should be fertilized with a ratio of&nbsp;12-6-6.&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Watering/Irrigation</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Assuring your plants/trees and or garden get plenty of water should be your biggest concern during the heat of the summer. Add a rain gauge in your garden/yard to keep up with the amount of rain you&rsquo;ve had to help you keep up with how much you need to supplement. Remember to deep water, not just spray over the plants. Don&rsquo;t forget your plants on the porches and decks, those beautiful container gardens and hanging baskets you have around. They need to be checked more often and possibly watered more frequently as they have such a small space to store water.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your irrigation may be supplying the lawn with all the water it needs but make sure the plants and trees are also being watered well by it.&nbsp; They have deeper roots than sod and should be checked for additional watering.&nbsp; Consider drip irrigation for the plants/trees. &nbsp;You may want to consider drip irrigation for the container plants and/or hanging baskets as well.</p> </div> <div class="itemFullText" style="color: #7b8181;"> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pruning and Maintenance</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Do not prune your azaleas and rhododendrons after the second week of July. They are beginning to set new buds for next year&rsquo;s blooms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Deadheading is the chore for this month.&nbsp; Cleaning out the faded and spent flowers. There are some that you maybe holding out for those seeds but once you have collected those, it&rsquo;s time to make way for the new. Regular deadheading of some of our plants of today, just make the plants produce more and more for long showy seasons.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is also a good time to clean out any dead or diseased plants or limbs/stems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Miscellaneous</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is the beginning of the hottest parts of summer and the thought of garden chores can really cause us to groan, but stick with it. Every small amount you do adds up. So if you have a large chore, break it down into smaller jobs, pick the morning or evening time to do it when the heat isn&rsquo;t so bad and before you know it, you&rsquo;re done.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">While working in the yard, pay attention to yourself as well. Make sure you drink plenty of liquids for hydration, wear a sun block to help prevent sunburn and take breaks often, preferably in the shade. If you have a health condition that may be aggravated by extreme heat or exertion, consider a medic alert bracelet or necklace for your additional protection.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">These hot days are good days to start planning your fall gardens because you can do that inside.&nbsp; These is also a good time to check in with your local nursery to see what new flowers they may have gotten in and what may have gone on sale to make way for the next season.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pests</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">To help keep the mosquitoes down in your yard, eliminate any standing water. It is the prime incubator for mosquitoes.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep weeds from your gardens/flowerbeds. The weeds use up the nutrients and water you have provided for your planting. Top-dress your mulch if it has settled too much or washed away.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You can aide your Roses in the prevention of a rose disease by having a fungicide spray program.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You should scout for insects and disease to stay on top of it. To look for the hard to see insects, hold a sheet of white paper below a branch and tap the branch. Look at what falls off, if the black spot moves, you have an insect problem. It would need to be identified and dealt with before it causes any or more problems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Lawn</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Did that last rainfall remind you of that low spot in your yard? Add a good topsoil but if your low spot is more of a hole, add gradually so your grass will grow up through it and establish it as the new height of that area.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep your lawn at about three inches so the grass actually shades its roots and the soil. This helps to retain water and keep roots from the heat of the direct sun. As we said last month, don&rsquo;t bag your clippings, this is a good way to return the nitrogen back to the soil and it doesn&rsquo;t cost a thing.</p> <div><br /> </div> </div>1026MAY TIDBITShttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/23/tidbitsLawn & Garden TipsThu, 28 May 2015 18:47:20 GMT<p><span>MAY TIDBITS</span></p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><strong><span>.</span></strong></p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span>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. </span></p> <p><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span></strong></span></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p><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><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>23Azalea Planting Charthttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/7/azalea-planting-chartAzaleas,Lawn & Garden TipsMon, 26 Jan 2015 13:59:00 GMT<p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><img alt="" src="/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=o93T4PNY5IE%253d&amp;portalid=64" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px;" />Buy in bloom.</strong>&nbsp;Most people have a particular color in mind when they buy azaleas. One way to guarantee the color you want is to buy flowering plants. You will be sure to get the right color, and if you are buying several you can see if they match or blend.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Speaking of color.</strong>&nbsp;To get the most impact, set out blocks or sweeps of the same selection. Ten types scattered across the front of your house will be colorful but chaotic.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Consider size.</strong>&nbsp;Not all azaleas are low-growing shrubs. The Southern Indian hybrids reach 8 to 10 feet tall in some parts of the South and should be planted at least 4 feet apart. Some zealous gardeners don't realize this and soon find their sidewalks and houses consumed.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">The medium-size Kurumes grow 3 to 5 feet tall and need a 30-inch spacing. Satsuki hybrids--including Gumpo, Macrantha, and Wakaebisu--generally grow less than 3 feet tall and are perfect for planting under low windows. Satsukis can be placed 2 feet apart for a nice full look. Don't crowd new plants together; space them for the future, not for instant effect.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">A little shade, please.</strong>&nbsp;When choosing the best spot to plant, take the sun into account. Azaleas like plenty of morning light. However, avoid areas that get midday or hot afternoon sun--plants in full sun are susceptible to lacebugs and spider mites.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Azaleas need acid soil.</strong>&nbsp;Adding plenty of leaf mold, peat moss, or bark can help create the ideal environment. This is particularly important if you're placing the plants near your home's foundation, where lime can leach out of the concrete and neutralize acid soils. Limestone gravel used for drainage around your home can also cause soil to be too alkaline.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">In alkaline soils (like those in Texas and Arkansas), you may want to try growing a few specimens in containers.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Moisture.</strong>&nbsp;Avoid planting azaleas near downspouts or areas that stay damp. In heavy clay soil, plant them almost on top of the ground, building soil up on the sides of the root ball.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Planting in clay.</strong>&nbsp;Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Add soil enriched with organic matter to the hole so that the top of the root ball will sit 4 inches above ground level. Place the root ball in the hole, and build up the soil on the sides. Planting high gives the shrub the drainage it needs, but you will need to water frequently.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">About pruning.</strong>&nbsp;Avoid the urge to shear your plants into round balls or other geometric forms. Azaleas look best when allowed to grow to their natural mounded shape. Limit pruning to removing long, stray branches. Older plants that have become leggy may benefit from pruning branches from the main trunk in staggered lengths. If you have to prune hard every year, you probably have the wrong azalea for that location, or your plants are too close together.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><strong style="color: #333333; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Azalea concerns.</strong>&nbsp;Don't worry when a few leaves turn yellow and drop off, especially in the fall. All evergreens drop some leaves during the year. If autumn is mild, azaleas will often bloom. There is nothing you can do to prevent this. Enjoy the fall blooms, because flowering could be sparse the following spring.</span></p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><em>"Azalea Plant Chart" is from the Southern Living Spring Garden Guide, 2000.</em></p>7Hydrangeas: How/When Should I Prune Them?https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/10/hydrangeas-how-when-should-i-prune-themHydrangeas,Lawn & Garden TipsTue, 30 Dec 2014 17:39:32 GMT<p style="color: #004000; margin-bottom: 15px;">Established bigleaf, panicle, oakleaf and smooth hydrangea plants can often benefit from regular pruning. Removing about one-third of the oldest stems each year will result in a fuller, healthier plant. This type of pruning is easiest to do in winter, since the absence of leaves makes it easier to see and reach inside plants.</p> <p style="color: #004000; margin-bottom: 15px;"><img src="http://magnolialandscapesupply.com/images/plants_flowering/Hydrangeas2.jpg" alt="Hydrangeas2" style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; width: 250px; height: 188px; float: left; background: transparent;" />Gardeners may also want to prune to control height or to remove old flower heads. The best time for this type of pruning differs between species. Bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangea, which flower on previous year's growth, should be pruned shortly after flowering is complete. Panicle and smooth hydrangea flower on current year's growth and can be pruned anytime from late summer until early spring. If pruning these two species in the spring, try to prune before leaves appear. Plants of&nbsp;<em style="background: transparent;">H. arborescens</em>&nbsp;'Annabelle' have been known to produce a second flush of flowers if pruned lightly after the first flowering.</p> <p style="color: #004000; margin-bottom: 15px;">Stems of bigleaf hydrangea that have been damaged by cold should be pruned as soon as it is determined that they are dead. Watch for new growth at the base of the plant. If your plant has basal shoots that are 6 to 8 inches in length, but the upper parts of the stems are still bare, then the bare stems need to be removed. For bigleaf hydrangea plants that are subject to frequent weather-related dieback, other than removing the dead stems, you probably won&rsquo;t ever need to do any other pruning &ndash; Mother Nature has been doing the work for you.</p>10Hydrangeas: Where Should I Plant Them?https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/9/hydrangeas-where-should-i-plant-themHydrangeas,Lawn & Garden TipsTue, 30 Dec 2014 17:33:06 GMT<p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/magnolialandscape/Hydrangeas.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 188px; float: left; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px;" />The hydrangeas bloom in May and June.&nbsp;<a title="Magnolia Landscape Supply" href="http://magnolialandscapesupply.com/index.php" style="color: #796c3d; background: transparent;">Magnolia Landscape Supply</a>&nbsp;has the traditional hydrangeas for the shade and we also have the Limelight and Phantom hydrangea that are good for full sun.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Hydrangeas grow best in moist, well-drained soil. Most hydrangeas benefit from some shade, especially in hot climates. Bigleaf, oakleaf and smooth hydrangeas will usually perform well on the north side of a house or planted at the edge of a woodland (see image at right). As discussed earlier, growing hydrangeas in deep shade is not necessary and can greatly reduce flowering.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">The amount of sun that hydrangeas can tolerate depends on species, climate and availability of water. Panicle hydrangea tolerates more sun than do other species. Plants grown in hot climates require more shade than do those grown in the colder limits of adaptation. In southern climates, providing frequent and adequate watering will allow hydrangeas to tolerant more sun than if they were subjected to moisture stress.</p> <p style="color: #7b8181; margin-bottom: 15px;">Source:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html#Where-should-I-plant" style="color: #796c3d; background: transparent;">http://www.usna.usda.gov</a></p>9August Lawn & Garden Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/13/august-lawn-garden-tipsLawn & Garden TipsFri, 01 Aug 2014 18:38:00 GMT<div class="itemIntroText" style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px;"><img src="http://magnolialandscapesupply.com/images/tips/bedding_plants.jpg" alt="bedding plants" style="margin-right: 15px; font-style: normal; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'PT Sans', arial, sans-serif; width: 201px; height: 300px; float: left; background: transparent;" /> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">PLANTING&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">Be planning your fall beds and plantings. This is the time for the soil prep.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">All container-grown perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted. Make sure to prepare your soil by mixing good-sized quantities of a processed manure, and compost in with your existing soil to amend it.</span></p> <h3 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">&nbsp; </h3> <h2>FERTILIZE</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">This is a good time to test your soil for fall fertilization requirements, if you haven&rsquo;t had it done in the last three years or so.&nbsp; A soil test would make you better prepared to add what it needs. This will save time and money, rather than add anything and everything needlessly. I have heard it put something like this: adding lime or fertilizer to untested soil is like adding salt to your food without tasting it first.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Woody plants and roses should only be fertilized now as needed. It can stimulate new growth that would not have time to harden off before winter. Discontinue altogether after Labor Day.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Keep your annuals blooming possibly right on into fall, by watering and fertilizing.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- You can continue feeding your houseplants as usual with a good slow release granular fertilizer.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Keep up the good work on fertilizing your container and hanging basket plants. If you have been using a liquid, try a slow release during this extra watering time. It can cut back on your labor while maintaining their health and beauty.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- If your hibiscus foliage is beginning to yellow it could be lack of iron. You can drench to soil around the base of the plant with a liquid iron (always follow label directions exactly) and you should see your foliage begin to green up within a week or so.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">-To turn a Pink Hydrangea blue, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate. To turn a Blue Hydrangea pink, add ground limestone.</span></p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">PRUNE</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Most woody plants and shrubs should be pruned of the dead or diseased wood. You can do minor pruning of tips and such but save the major pruning until later in winter.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Go ahead and clip your evergreen hedges as needed. This should hold them over until next spring.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- If your petunias are leggy and need reviving, try cutting them back to about six inches and feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer, as the label directs. This allows for root drenching and foliar feeding. Your plants should be flowering again within a couple weeks or so.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Perennials and rose bushes would benefit from a minor pruning and the crape myrtles faded flowers can be trimmed off to encourage a re-bloom.</span></p> </div> <div class="itemFullText" style="color: #7b8181;"> <h2 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;">WATER</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; The main thing to keep an eye on in August is water. Make sure you water deeply and thoroughly&nbsp;&nbsp; to get the most benefit of it.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Keep an eye on your azaleas and camellias. Meeting their water needs will help assure the future blooms to be the best they can be.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">- Container plants, and hanging baskets need to check every day because of the summer heat, and it is wise to check below the surface. Poke your finger in the soil; see for yourself if the ground over an inch down is dry or moist. This will help prevent you from over watering also.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Your compost also needs to be moistened regularly to keep it active.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Your sod may become extremely dry due to no rain or no irrigation, if so consider watering it before you mow. If you mow it in that extreme condition, it can stress the sod and expose it to the heat of the sun and drying effect of the wind.</span></p> <h3 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;"> </h3> <h2>PEST CONTROL</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Always follow the label directions of any chemical you use, EXACTLY.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Fruit trees should be on a regular spray program. Check with us here at Magnolia Landscape Supply for suggestions.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Always clean up all fallen fruit from your fruit trees and any fallen rose leaves, to help reduce pests and diseases next year.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Remove any old plants that are not producing any longer, to eliminate a breeding grounds for insects and disease organisms</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; If you need to, apply a fungicide to the lawn to control turf diseases like brown patch, dollar spot and others.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquito larvae so keep an eye for it. Empty out where you see it and don&rsquo;t forget to change the water in your birdbath often so it doesn&rsquo;t become a breeding ground too.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Control weeds before they go to seed. Those seed are another batch of trouble for next year. Weeds can also use up the water and nutrients that your plants need, as well as can get too big and push out your plants. They also harbor disease and insects.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Roses would benefit from a spraying of a rose fungicide like the Bayer All in One Rose and Flower Care that we carry, to keep black spot and other problems under control.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; White flies are attracted to yellow, so use yellow sticky boards to reduce or monitor their population.</span></p> <h2 style="padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 4px; background: transparent;">MISC</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Imagine the beautiful color of the plants in containers or hanging baskets around your patio or on the porch. Use a potting mix when planting them and add Hydrostretch, which is a water-holding polymer. It will help to reduce the frequency of watering.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Try raising the cutting height of your lawnmower during the hottest part of summer. The longer blades of your sod will provide a little extra shade for its roots and also acts as insulation, helping retain moisture in the soil.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Establish a new compost pile to accommodate the extra grass clippings of summer and future fall leaves, but don&rsquo;t put weeds with mature seed heads in as they can germinate next year when you use this compost. If you have used an herbicide on your grass this year, wait two or three mowings before collecting the clippings to add to a compost pile but remember, it&rsquo;s a good thing to let the clippings work for you in the yard. They are beneficial to your soil by returning nutrients back into the soil and like mulch, they aid in sheltering the soil from the drying sun and wind.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;"><span style="background: transparent;">&middot; Hummingbirds will be migrating back through during August. Think about them when putting in any new perennials and don&rsquo;t forget to get the feeders ready.</span></p> </div>13July Lawn & Garden Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/12/july-lawn-garden-tipsLawn & Garden Tips,Palm TreesTue, 01 Jul 2014 18:39:00 GMT<div class="itemIntroText" style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px;"><span style="color: #840a27; font-family: 'PT Sans', cursive; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 34px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/magnolialandscape/Crapemyrtle/Tonto_thumb.jpg" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Planting</span> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Get your flower beds noticed with all the color of the Coleus, hibiscus, penta, plumbago, marigold, zinnia, periwinkle, petunia, ageratum, just to name a few.&nbsp; These plants are not only showy, they are heat and drought resistant and a good addition to any flowerbed.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your houseplants can spend the summer outdoors. Assure they are sheltered from the sun&rsquo;s direct rays and any hard winds/rain. Feed and water them regularly.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Fertilizing</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Now is the time for the second and last fertilize application for the centipede yards and you can fertilize Zoysia lawns now with the lawn fertilizer 16-4-8.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Palms are in active growth cycle during the summer and need the extra magnesium sulfate. You can use an 8-2-12. We carry a complete line of Palm Fertilizers from 5 to 50 lbs as well as Magnesium Sulfate.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Most trees &amp; shrubs are poised for a second flush of growth and should be fertilized with a ratio of&nbsp;12-6-6.&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Watering/Irrigation</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Assuring your plants/trees and or garden get plenty of water should be your biggest concern during the heat of the summer. Add a rain gauge in your garden/yard to keep up with the amount of rain you&rsquo;ve had to help you keep up with how much you need to supplement. Remember to deep water, not just spray over the plants. Don&rsquo;t forget your plants on the porches and decks, those beautiful container gardens and hanging baskets you have around. They need to be checked more often and possibly watered more frequently as they have such a small space to store water.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your irrigation may be supplying the lawn with all the water it needs but make sure the plants and trees are also being watered well by it.&nbsp; They have deeper roots than sod and should be checked for additional watering.&nbsp; Consider drip irrigation for the plants/trees. &nbsp;You may want to consider drip irrigation for the container plants and/or hanging baskets as well.</p> </div> <div class="itemFullText" style="color: #7b8181;"> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pruning and Maintenance</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Do not prune your azaleas and rhododendrons after the second week of July. They are beginning to set new buds for next year&rsquo;s blooms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Deadheading is the chore for this month.&nbsp; Cleaning out the faded and spent flowers. There are some that you maybe holding out for those seeds but once you have collected those, it&rsquo;s time to make way for the new. Regular deadheading of some of our plants of today, just make the plants produce more and more for long showy seasons.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is also a good time to clean out any dead or diseased plants or limbs/stems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Miscellaneous</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is the beginning of the hottest parts of summer and the thought of garden chores can really cause us to groan, but stick with it. Every small amount you do adds up. So if you have a large chore, break it down into smaller jobs, pick the morning or evening time to do it when the heat isn&rsquo;t so bad and before you know it, you&rsquo;re done.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">While working in the yard, pay attention to yourself as well. Make sure you drink plenty of liquids for hydration, wear a sun block to help prevent sunburn and take breaks often, preferably in the shade. If you have a health condition that may be aggravated by extreme heat or exertion, consider a medic alert bracelet or necklace for your additional protection.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">These hot days are good days to start planning your fall gardens because you can do that inside.&nbsp; These is also a good time to check in with your local nursery to see what new flowers they may have gotten in and what may have gone on sale to make way for the next season.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pests</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">To help keep the mosquitoes down in your yard, eliminate any standing water. It is the prime incubator for mosquitoes.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep weeds from your gardens/flowerbeds. The weeds use up the nutrients and water you have provided for your planting. Top-dress your mulch if it has settled too much or washed away.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You can aide your Roses in the prevention of a rose disease by having a fungicide spray program.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You should scout for insects and disease to stay on top of it. To look for the hard to see insects, hold a sheet of white paper below a branch and tap the branch. Look at what falls off, if the black spot moves, you have an insect problem. It would need to be identified and dealt with before it causes any or more problems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Lawn</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Did that last rainfall remind you of that low spot in your yard? Add a good topsoil but if your low spot is more of a hole, add gradually so your grass will grow up through it and establish it as the new height of that area.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep your lawn at about three inches so the grass actually shades its roots and the soil. This helps to retain water and keep roots from the heat of the direct sun. As we said last month, don&rsquo;t bag your clippings, this is a good way to return the nitrogen back to the soil and it doesn&rsquo;t cost a thing.</p> </div>12June Lawn & Garden Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/11/june-lawn-garden-tipsLawn & Garden TipsSun, 01 Jun 2014 18:36:00 GMT<div style="color: #7b8181; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;" class="itemBody"> <div style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" class="itemIntroText"> <img style="margin-right: 10px; width: 201px; height: 300px; float: left; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" alt="daylily" src="http://magnolialandscapesupply.com/images/tips/daylily.jpg" /> <h2>Planting</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Bulbs such as iris and daylilies can be divided even when they are blooming. This would be an opportune time if you have different colors and want to work with them for the current season.&nbsp; Simply cut off the existing flowers and cut the leaves back, dig and divide and replant as soon as possible, or you can tag the colors for later dividing.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">When you purchase container plants, check the root ball and loosen the roots if they are tightly wound in the pot. You need to keep as much dirt intact on the roots as possible as this will help the roots to move out and &ldquo;root in&rdquo; their new location.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Whether it is your accent plants or your focal point for your yard, many people prefer to buy trees and shrubs while in bloom to make sure the colors are what they like such as the Hydrangea, Crape myrtle, Oleander or Magnolia.</p> <h2>Fertilizing</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Don&rsquo;t miss out on the opportunity to fertilize your plants. Not just for the health and growth of your plants but also for your blooming plants to help produce more and better. Water well after fertilizing.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Azaleas and camellias should be fertilized right after they have finished blooming and roses after each bloom time. We carry fertilizers specifically for your blooming needs.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Container gardens are a beautiful addition to your patio or porches but they will need additional attention such as fertilizer.&nbsp; You can give them regular doses of a water-soluble fertilizer or try a slow release granular fertilizer that will release a little every time you water.</p> </div> <div style="background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" class="itemFullText"> <h2>Watering/Irrigation</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Most professionals will recommend that watering be done in the morning for the most benefit including helping to slow down evaporation of the water. But if you find your plants/lawn are drying out due to an extremely hot summer and/or drought time, go ahead and give them more water perhaps in the early afternoon. Also, check your container plants, they will dry out quicker.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Mulch is a good addition to your flower beds and plantings, it helps to shade the soil and keep it cooler which helps retain moisture during the hot days.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">If you have irrigation, keep an eye out for broken sprinkler heads. This will help you avoid dry areas and wasted water. Consider having a &ldquo;Rain Check&rdquo; control added to your system. This helps reduce over watering by not allowing your system to water after a rain shower. As the plants grow they may interfere with the sprinkler so keep things trimmed back.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">It is a good idea to water slowly and deeply. This will encourage your plants to grow deeper roots. That can make them more stable and keeps the roots away from the upper drier soil. &nbsp;</p> <h2>Pruning and Maintenance</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">It is possible to have roses, and some perennials re-bloom. The best way to encourage it is to &ldquo;dead head&rdquo; your plant by removing the old blooms. Annuals can also be deadheaded and re-bloom most of the summer. Your hanging baskets will benefit as well with a good once over for dead blooms and shaping.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Pinch back any of your plants that seem to be getting leggy and out of shape. Whether it&rsquo;s an annual or perennial, pruning your plant helps make it healthier and look better. Most evergreens benefit from pruning. The optimum time would be around June and July.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">For maximum flavor of your herbs, pick or harvest just before flowering as the leaves have the most oil content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <h2>Miscellaneous</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">To help you keep up with what you have planted, where it is, and info on the plants, try keeping up with this in a notebook or on your computer. This information can save you time and money. You can look back and see which plant needed what fertilizer, when and so on.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Avoid the heat and humidity of our hot summers by working in the early a.m. or later afternoon into the evening makes the time you spend working in the yards a little easier.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">While you are out in the yard working in your lawn and gardens, involve your kids or grand kids. Have them help you weed, plant or most anything. It is good exercise, and helps them to learn that sense of pride of a job well done. Being outside, helping, is time spent with you they will never forget.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Speaking of weeding, if you weed in your flowerbeds on a regular basis it makes that chore a little easier to deal with. Ground cloth or mulch are good for weed prevention also.&nbsp; If you put mulch around woody plants don&rsquo;t pile it on close around the trunks. Just a couple inches deep starting a few inches away is plenty.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">If you have a compost heap or bins, remember the heat of the summer can also dry them out. Moisture is the key and it should also be turned regularly to aide in the natural decomposition.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Stake tall flowers to keep them from blowing over and tie up your climbing roses or other vines for a more secure plant. Make sure any plant or tree you have ties on are loose enough so as not to cut into the stems.</p> <h2>Pests</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Is there something eating at your plant&rsquo;s leaves/stem/bloom? Do you have a white/gray/black residue on it? You should always research your problem to identify what is actually going on with your plant. This will lead you to the best solution but you will need the most information of the problem.&nbsp; It is wise as well, to chose the lest toxic solution and follow the directions completely.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Roses are prone to mildew, black spot, aphids and other diseases and insect.&nbsp; Identify and take action. The sooner you identify the problem and take action, the better your plant will be.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">It seems that the ever so vital honeybee, maybe suffering from the pesticides sold on the shelves as well as the pest they were designed for. Just a couple tweaks in our pesticide application habits will aide in the promotion of their population. Try using a liquid pesticide instead of a dust and try applying later in the afternoon/evening when the bees are mostly heading back to the hive.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">Here at Magnolia Landscape Supply, we have a large selection of pesticides, we can help you identify the problem and find a solution.</p> <h2>Lawn</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">If your lawn seems compacted, hard for water to absorb or have a nematode problem, you may want to aerate your lawn. We rent a sod aerator for $49.95 per day plus tax.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">A good rule of thumb for mowing is to cut off no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at each mowing. If your grass is &ldquo;growing like a weed&rdquo;, try more frequent mowing to maintain better grass. As for your St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses, they would be better off at a mowed height of around 3&rdquo;. This helps to shade the soil and saves the moisture in the soil.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">To prevent the ragged cut of a grass blade, keep your mower blades sharp.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">You should consider leaving the trimmings, if there isn&rsquo;t an excessive amount due to overgrowth. The trimmings will make their way to the soil, returning nitrogen of the grass back to the soil.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">If you have an area that is too shady for grass, try using ground cover plants or a mulch.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;">One secret to having the appearance of a professionally mowed lawn, is to keep a nice clean edge around the flowerbeds, sidewalk, driveway, etc. so pull out the edger or grass shears and keep it neat and tidy.</p> </div> <div style="height: 0px; border: medium none; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" class="clr"></div> <div style="height: 0px; border: medium none; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" class="clr"></div> </div> <div style="color: #7b8181; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"> <div style="width: 200px; margin-right: 24px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;" class="itemFacebookButton"> <div style="color: #000000; border-spacing: 0px; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" class=" fb_reset" id="fb-root"> <div style="height: 0px; width: 0px; background: none 0% 0% repeat scroll transparent;"></div> </div> </div> </div>11