KeepSaralandBeautiful
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month at 12 noon at the Saraland Chamber Offices.
KSB GARDENING NEWS FROM JAMES MILES
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Mayor Dr. Howard Rubenstein,
Council Chair Joe McDonald,
Council Members: Newton Cromer, Wayne Biggs,
Natalie Moye and Veronica Hudson
August 2024
The daily rains are keeping me busy in my yard. I
have had to reduce my mowing frequency to every 5
days or less because I leave the clippings. If I stick
to the 7 + day interval the amount of grass clippings
will mat up or form windrows that are not only
unsightly but can smother the grass underneath.
Mowing more frequently results in smaller
clipping/residue and quicker decomposition of them.
If you bag your clippings, you can maintain the 7 +
day interval. Another area of gardening that the rain
has affected is citrus and tomatoes. I am seeing
more split fruit as a result of heavy rains. There is no
fix for this. Usually, you don’t see splitting if you
water consistently but in cases with frequent heavy
rains that is not effective. Remove the damaged fruit
as soon as you can to prevent disease and insect
spreading. Because of the rainfall this growing
season, I would highly recommend having a routine
soil test done this winter. The rain we have been
getting will leach the soil nutrients below the plant
root zone or offsite. The soil test will let you know
how much lime and fertilizer you should apply. Last
month I mentioned reducing the amount of fertilizer
because of the high prices, but you don’t want to
have your nutrient levels too low. A soil test will help
you determine what your levels are and what actions
you should take.
I spoke with a couple of pecan and citrus growers
the last week of July and they both bragged on how
good those two crops look at this time. They agreed
that the pecan crop is about 2 weeks ahead of
schedule and individual nuts are larger than they
usually are this time of year. I asked about the
splitting citrus and they are seeing some but they
feel that the amount of split fruit is minimal in the big
scheme of things and don’t feel that it is a problem at
this time. They were both very optimistic about the
crops. This is coming on the heels of a great
vegetable season. I will keep you posted on the
local crops.
If you have moss in your landscape, this year’s
weather has kept it lush and green for the most part.
Moss is usually found in the side yard or areas of the
landscape where the turf grass is not growing as well
as it could. Many folks will say that the moss is
killing the grass. The truth is that grass is weak and
allows the moss to encroach. The encroachment
can be linked to many factors, but the common ones
are compaction, low pH, and low nutrients. There
are not many products labeled to control moss, but
even using one that is, if you don’t address the
factors that weaken the turf and favor the moss you
are fighting a losing battle because the moss will
return. Again, a soil test this winter will help you with
a couple of those factors.
Later this month, you can start planting your
tomatoes, peppers, etc. for the fall. It is still a bit too
hot for the cool-season vegetables. For the cool-
season vegetables, I suggest waiting until late
September through November.
Enjoy the outdoors.
July 2024
With the heat of the summer settling in, it can be
difficult to find the motivation to perform
gardening/landscaping activities. However, this is
also the time that a lot of plants are in full bloom and
attracting both pest and beneficial insects. The
majority of the beneficial insects are pollinators. If
you walk or sit in your landscape in the morning you
will see the peak number of pollinators visiting your
plants. Throughout the day you will see wasps,
assassin bugs, and the like. In the late evening, you
can see more assassin bugs and spiders. It is
fascinating to watch how quickly they develop after
hatching and how they set up territories. You can
usually find them in the same landscape area every
day. I highly recommend you sit and observe what
goes on in your landscape at different times during
the day.
As much as I’d like not to have to think about
hurricanes, the reality is that we must prepare for
them. You can find lists of needed supplies for you,
your family, and your home from various sources.
What can or should we do for our landscapes?
When planting trees and shrubs, planting them in
groups will allow their roots to become intertwined
resulting in a more storm-resistant planting. We can
also prune to a more open canopy which will allow
more wind to blow through resulting in reduced
blowover and/or limb breakage. Newly planted trees
and shrubs should be stabilized with staking to
prevent blowover.
Recently I read several articles about the benefits of
house plants. Their air quality benefits are the most
commonly known by most people. But there are
more. They enhance air quality by absorbing toxins
& producing oxygen, increase humidity, reduce noise
levels, and create a more visually appealing and
calming environment. Not to mention the feelings
you get from taking care of them and the beauty they
bring to your space. Here are some common fairly
easy-to-grow plants to consider: Spider plant, Peace
Lily, Rubber Plant, Snake Plant, Elephant Ears,
various succulents & cacti, Ferns, Pothos &
philodendron, English Ivy, and various herbs. Each
of the plants and plant groups listed above has
different light, soil, and watering requirements. For a
successful experience choose your plant based on
where you intend to put it and how much the plant
needs fit into your schedule or lifestyle.
In the vegetable garden. At this point in the summer
squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes have pretty much
played out. Some heat-tolerant and cherry tomatoes
are still holding on but for the most part, the heat is
taking its toll on them. With other vegetables, you
have to scout regularly for insect pests. The insect
population is continuing to increase resulting in more
feeding damage to your plants. Read the label of the
insecticide you intend to use carefully. There have
been many changes made to products that can
affect their effectiveness and injure your plants.
READ THE LABEL!
Enjoy the outdoors!
June 2024
Hello June! June being the start of hurricane season
reminds me to do some pruning to increase the wind
resistance of the trees in the landscape. You can
selectively prune, removing excessive limb growth.
When performing this type of pruning, make cuts at
the base of the shoots/limbs you wish to remove.
Step back and view the plant from different angles
between pruning cuts to make sure you keep the
plant’s overall structure and symmetry. Also, while
performing this pruning, remove dead wood and
branches rubbing & crossing the canopy.
Last month, I went to a local garden center to
purchase some fertilizer and boy did I get sticker
shock. I usually buy enough to last a year or two
when it is on sale. That being said, I have not
bought any in a couple of years. I was surprised at
the price of fertilizers. The very basic fertilizer that I
usually purchase was 3 times what it was the last
time I bought it. Fertilizers with an insecticide or
herbicide was 3 to 5 times more than that. Wow!
There are a few ways to cope with this. Option 1:
reduce the amount of product you apply. You can
reduce the rate by ½ to ¾. Option 2: reduce the
number of applications you make during the growing
season. Option 3: if you have been fertilizing
regularly for the past 3 plus years, you can skip
fertilizing this year.
Another observation I made while in the garden
center is the absence of fire ant baits. I made visits
to several garden centers in the area. I did find
some fire ant bait, and the selection was very limited.
The stores that did have it only had small quantities
and only one brand. If you have or plan to purchase
fire ant bait, pay attention to the label of what is on
the shelf. The majority of the products on shelves
now are fire ant killers. There is a difference. The
fire ant killer products are fast action compared to
the fire ant baits. I reached out to some of my former
Extension coworkers to see if they knew what was
going on in the industry that would result in this
change in product availability. None of them had
heard or read anything that supported the change.
Some of them did say that fire ant baits can still be
purchased online. As much as I like to support, and
buy locally, that will have to suffice.
What’s in store for us in June? I have been asked
several times since May, “when will local melons be
available?”. Some local melons will be available
mid-month, but the majority of the melons will be
available late June through the 4th of July. Local
cantaloupes should be available the first week of the
month.
The above-average temperatures have slowed my
tomato harvest down to a crawl. When the night
temperatures are 78° and above the pollen of
tomatoes becomes sterile and will not be as
productive. My peppers on the other hand are
looking great and are in full production. Historically, I
have not been very successful growing bell peppers.
This year, I have the best bell pepper plants and crop
I’ve ever had. I purchased all my plants from the
horticulture programs of local high schools.
One of my simple pleasures in life is to sit in the
landscape in the morning and listen to the birds sing
and watch the bees travel from bloom to bloom on
my squash plants. It is fascinating to watch how they
interact with each other and on misty mornings how
they hide out in the blooms until the weather clears.
June is the month of Father’s Day. In addition to all
the gift ideas I’ve shared in the past, gift cards are a
great option. Not just any generic gift card. Gift
cards to local garden centers and equipment dealers
are good for those who like very specific items.
Enjoy the outdoors!
May 2024
The last rain of April really encouraged the fire ant
mounds in my yard to expand and enlarge. If you
are like me and missed the April fire ant bait
treatment, you can apply the bait this month. As with
any pesticide, always follow the label directions.
In mid-April, I noticed mole cricket activity in some
sandy areas of my yard. At this point they are adults
and not feeding much if at all. They are focused on
mating. What does this mean? Insecticide
treatments are not very effective on them at this
stage of the life cycle. The time to target them with a
treatment is the end of June/First of July through
September. Here is a link to a more detailed article
on them: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-
garden/biology-and-control-of-mole-crickets/
The last week of April I picked army worms off my
vegetable plants. The bad news is they were there
and fairly large. The good news is they were
parasitized by something. When I picked them up,
they didn’t move, and they were very dark, almost
black. I removed them from the plant and set them
to the side so as to not destroy whatever beneficial
took care of them for me. The moral of the story is
that not every insect sighting warrants an insecticide
treatment. I encourage you to pay attention to the
activity of the insect and investigate the life cycle and
the natural enemies.
Current weather trends are drier than we usually are
this time of year. According to NOAA’s website, we
should not be in a drought between May and July.
The long-term forecast states we will have a hotter
than normal summer. The key to gardening success
during a time of climatic stress is to plan ahead.
Develop a watering plan and maybe in extreme
conditions provide temporary shade. Shade cloths
can be purchased in small sheets or rolls to fit every
landscape need.
Being a self-proclaimed momma’s boy, I would be
remiss if I didn’t acknowledge this month is Mother’s
Day month. If your special lady is a gardener,
consider giving her one or more of her favorite
plants. If she has enough of those, ask your garden
center what would be a great companion plant for it.
You can even take a few photos of her landscape to
show the garden center worker for a more accurate
plant selection.
This year the free fishing date for Alabama is June
8th. You have time to plan a trip to any of the many
bodies of water we are blessed with to enjoy fishing
without the expense of the license. Here is a link for
more information:
https://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/free-fishing-
day
Enjoy the outdoors!
April 2024
Ready, Set, Garden! Gardening activities are in full
swing. On Good Friday, I visited a couple of garden
centers and the owners of both shared the same
sentiment, Good Friday, and the Saturday
immediately after it are the 2 busiest days of the year
for them. Well, I along with most gardeners in the
area purchased some of my favorite plants to attract
butterflies and hummingbirds along with some
vegetable transplants. One of the chores for this
transition period is to pull weeds out of my raised
beds to prep for planting. I will also apply an
herbicide to some areas to kill the existing weeds.
When planting plants for color, plant them in fairly
large numbers to create a mass of color to maximize
the wow effect. I have also learned to use the same
theory for pollinator plants, for a more attractive draw
for your target pollinator(s).
I have also spoken to several local produce farmers
in the area, and they are excited about a successful
growing season this year, especially following a very
tough 2023 that consisted of a devastating
frost/freeze in March of that year and a severe
drought during the summer and fall. This year the
peach, plum, and citrus crops look great so far. This
may even be a year when gardeners and growers
may need to thin fruit to allow them to produce larger
fruit and reduce the stress of carrying more fruit than
the tree can support.
What should we be doing in the landscape?
•
Fertilize your St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia,
and Bahia.
•
Put out fire ant bait.
•
Plant your warm-season vegetables, herbs, etc.
•
Apply herbicide to actively growing weeds.
•
Scout for insects and treat once identified.
I would like to encourage you to share seeds and
plants with your family, friends, and neighbors. This
can be done by purchasing more seeds/transplants
than you can use and/or sharing cutting.
Enjoy the outdoors!
March 2024
For those of you who grow citrus, unless you
protected the tree(s) a few weeks back when we had
a major freeze event, the trees suffered some
damage ranging from defoliation to stem dieback to
total tree mortality. Now is the time to really assess
the damage. I examined mine the last week of
February and noticed some bud swell on some and
new leaves developing on others. That was a
welcomed site. I did not have a crop this past
season due to the March frost/freeze last year. I
don’t expect a crop this year either. I will fertilize
them in April and June and make sure they are
irrigated during dry periods.
I know the warm weather is encouraging gardeners
to get active in the landscape. Garden centers are
getting new plants in, and advertising is
compounding the desire to get out in the yard. If you
select and plant sensitive warm-season plants now,
have a plan for cold protection in mind. I like to get a
jump start on squash plants as soon as the soil
temperatures are close to suitable. This allows me
to get a head start on squash vine borers.
Sometimes I have to replant them due to cold injury.
The last week of February, I mowed my lawn. I was
mowing weeds and not the turf. The weeds that
have become large enough to mow are winter weeds
and are approaching or in the reproductive stage of
their lifecycle. It is important to keep the weeds from
flowing and developing seeds. Using an herbicide
now will be a waste, as the weeds will die as the
weather continues to warm, but the herbicide will not
prevent the production of seeds at this point.
Another benefit to mowing the weed is reducing the
habitat of the cranefly. Craneflies can be a nuisance,
but they are harmless. The larva stage feeds on
organic matter in the soil. The adults don’t feed,
their sole purpose is to mate and reproduce. They
do serve as a food source for other insects, spiders,
and birds. No treatment is recommended, just
manage the habitat.
Remember there are local schools with horticulture
programs that need your support, and they have
great plants to choose from. They usually have a
good selection of ornamental plants and vegetables.
Enjoy the outdoors.
February 2024
If you have not sat and dreamed up a plan for your
landscape, I highly recommend that you take the
time to sit and dream. You can even visit some
public gardens and landscapes for inspiration.
Let’s talk about hydrangeas. You can manipulate the
color of the hydrangea flowers by changing the soil
pH. Blue hydrangeas need a pH between 5 and 5.5,
while soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5 produces pink flowers.
Lowering the soil pH is only part of the story.
Aluminum is also required to produce blue flowers.
To make pink flowers turn blue, dissolve 1
tablespoon of aluminum sulfate in a gallon of water
and drench the soil around the plant in March, April,
and May. To make blue flowers turn pink, dissolve 1
tablespoon of hydrated lime in a gallon of water and
drench the soil around the plant in March, April, and
May.
A word of caution, do not increase the amounts of
the color change additives. Aluminum in high doses
will harm hydrangea plants. You can learn more
from this Extension publication:
http://extension.msstate.edu/.../hydrangeas-for...
The middle of this month is the time to start pruning
most of our woody plants. Start by pruning out the
damaged material, then start thinning cuts. In some
instances, you may need to do a renewal prune,
cutting plants back close to the ground and retraining
the new growth to replace the dead material.
As of January 30th, the chill hours are:
Brewton, AL – 651 hours Old Model; 575 hours
Modified Model
Fairhope, AL – 435 hours Old Model; 410 hours
Modified Model
Moss Point, MS – 500 hours Old Model; 434 hours
Modified Model
February is the month to apply pre-emergent
herbicides for warm-season weeds. Make sure the
product you select is labeled for the type of turfgrass
you have. Also, avoid “Weed & Feed” type products
as it is too early to fertilize.
Enjoy the outdoors!
January 2024
Happy New Year!
It appears that we are on course to match the long-
range weather forecast.
From December through February, NOAA predicts
wetter-than-average conditions for northern Alaska,
portions of the West, the southern Plains, Southeast,
Gulf Coast, and lower mid-Atlantic and drier-than-
average conditions across the northern tier of the
U.S., especially in the northern Rockies, High Plains
and near the Great Lakes.
“An enhanced southern jet stream and associated
moisture often present during strong El Nino events
supports high odds for above-average precipitation
for the Gulf Coast, lower Mississippi Valley and
Southeast states this winter,” said Jon Gottschalck,
chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the
Climate Prediction Center.
NOAA forecasters, in collaboration with the National
Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS),
continue to monitor extreme, ongoing drought
conditions that have persisted through the southern
and central U.S. and worsening drought in Hawaii.
Temperature
•
Equal chances for below-, near-, or above-
average seasonal mean temperatures.
Precipitation
•
Wetter-than-average conditions are most likely
along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast.
Drought
•
Drought conditions are expected to improve
across the Southeast and the Gulf Coast (including
the lower Mississippi Valley due to the expected
wetter-than-average forecast.
As of Dec. 30th, our local chill hour numbers are:
Pascagoula:
Old Model - 210
Modified Model -
201
Fairhope:
Old Model - 172
Modified Model -
147
Brewton:
Old Model - 343
Modified Model – 267
If you plan to plant Irish potatoes and sugar snap
peas, you have all of January to prep the area you
intend to plant. Rough out existing plants, add the
desired soil amendments, etc. February is the
month to plant them, but you must plan and prep the
area ahead of time. Potatoes and other root crops
need a loose high organic matter soil for the best
production. Sugar snap peas need the same, but
they do not need as much nitrogen as other
vegetables, so limit the amount of nitrogen in the
fertilizer you use on them.
As I drove through town the last couple of weeks of
December, I noticed several landscapes where folks
have started pruning. It is still too early to prune.
Pruning now will reduce the cold tolerance of your
plants and possibly result in cold damage during the
next frost or freeze. Hold off until mid-February. In
the meantime, stock up on alcohol to sterilize your
pruners, sharpen, and oil your pruners so you will be
ready when the time comes.
Start looking for new varieties to try in your
landscape. I like to try something new every year.
That something new can be a totally new to you
plant, category, or new varieties of plants you’ve
planted in the past. One suggestion is to keep good
notes on how they perform and pest problems.
Apply lime according to your soil test results now.
Here’s to a prosperous gardening New Year!
Enjoy the outdoors!