Garden Tips for the Hot North Texas Summer

 1. Plant fall tomatoes

2. Deadhead roses and perennials to encourage fall blooms

3. Fertilize if it’s been three months especially vegetables, annuals and perennials

4. Mulch, mulch, mulch

5. Watch for chinch bugs-they start at concrete and move into the yard. Soapy water and diatomaceous earth (DE) will stop them.

6. Chigger problems-sulphur will repel them, DE will kill them

7. Use “Come and Get It” for fire ants

8. For fleas, use beneficial nematodes for shadier areas, DE for sunny spots and in the house under rugs and furniture—never on the pet

9. Water thoroughly outside when possible

10. Spider mites can be controlled with soap and garlic spray

11. You can still aerate and top dress with compost if you have compaction problems

12. Tent caterpillars and bagworms are best killed with a BT product, Bacillus thuringiensis

 Source: Rohde’s Organic Nursery and Nature Center, BeOrganic.com

 For more information like this read Natural Awakenings Dallas Metroplex magazine at www.NADallas.com