Gardening Basics

§ Earwigs can be a problem — solve it organically. Try a mixture of cooking oil and soy sauce in a container. Remove dead insects and use new bait. A clean garden, without rotting wood or dead leaves, is another protection.

§ Regular walks through the garden can help you identify problems when they are small. Hand cultivation and organic methods are easy to use on small problems.

§ Mosquito preparations that use DEET or certain essential oils are effective. Try oil of lemon, eucalyptus, citronella, peppermint, or cedar oil.

Ornamental Gardens

§ Pruning now can insure you'll have good blooms next year on rhododendrons, lilacs, flowering almond, arborvitae, Daphne, forsythia, holly, Oregon grape, photinia and deciduous viburnums.

Lawns

§ This is a great time to mulch grass clippings. If you have no mulching mower blade, use clippings between rows in your garden, or compost in a heap. They should stay moist, but not soaked, to speed breakdown.

§ Most lawn problems are due to over-watering. Lawns will need about 2 inches of water per week in the hottest weather to stay green. Water just before sunrise or early morning.

§ Stay away from fertilizers during hot, dry spells.

Kitchen Gardens and Orchards

§ Pick vegetables as they ripen, to maintain production. Fertilize crops mid-season. Organic fertilizer is a good choice, as it does not damage roots. Sprinkle to the side of the plant and scratch in with a cultivator, then water deeply.

§ Fertilize and prune asparagus beds. Cane fruits that are finished bearing should be pruned to the ground. June bearing strawberries should be fertilized now and not again until after bearing next year's crop.

§ Plant more green beans. Lettuce and chard are good in part-sun gardens.