Here are a few tips to keep your garden and a few specific problems from getting away from you during the month of August gardening. Your lawn, again usually three things or any combination of them may be the culprit(s) for making your lawn or patches of your lawn turn brown.

Check water first. It may be that your sprinkler is just not applying enough water to certain areas of your lawn. Remember if you can see your footprints in the lawn after you walk on it then it is time to get water on it asap. If the patchy brown areas of your lawn feel slightly warmer than the green areas of your lawn it usually means that particular area is not receiving enough moisture. It is best to core holes in this area, which will help deliver water right to the roots. The second item you may want to check will be for grubs.

There will be no mistaking these creatures. They are usually about the size of your thumb, creamy white with a brown head. They will feed on the grass roots to store up for winter and hibernate and emerge next year as adults.

These adults are the May and June beetles your see flying around at dusk in early summer. There are granular and liquid insecticides as well a natural beneficial nematodes to help control these critters.

The third item to check for will be a fungus. If you look closely at the blades of grass that are just around the edge of a dry patch you may notice lines or markings on each individual blade(s) of grass. If you have already checked for water or grubworms and are sure these two are not the problems this could be whats making your lawn turn brown.

There are also granualar and liquid fungicides available to help with this situation.

If you have any flowering trees or shrubs such as roses, crape myrtle, vitex, bird of paradise, oleander, among others it is very important to remove the spent blossoms as they appear. This action will help keep your flowering plants blooming up until frost. If this is not done the plants will spend a lot of energy into forming seeds at the expense of new blossoms.

Remember this usuallly works on just about any flowering plant. If your plants are looking a little pale in color you may want to incorporate some iron into your soil. Plants and lawns can lose some of their deep green color this time of year due to so much watering.

The soil may get leached out of it’s nutrients by August so it is important to replace these minerals with chelated iron or Ironite. This not only puts a deep green back into the foliage but also makes flowers more vibrant.

If it has been more thant 5 to 6 weeks since you last fertilized your lawn then it is time. For this area a 16-8-8 fertilizer with iron, sulphur and zinc is recommended. This may be used on a fescue, rye or bermuda lawn, as well as trees and shrubs.

If you have any questions concerning August Garden Tips please email us at:manager@guzmansgreenhouse.com

Here are a few tips to keep your garden and a few specific problems from getting away from you during the month of August gardening. Your lawn, again usually three things or any combination of them may be the culprit(s) for making your lawn or patches of your lawn turn brown.

Check water first. It may be that your sprinkler is just not applying enough water to certain areas of your lawn. Remember if you can see your footprints in the lawn after you walk on it then it is time to get water on it asap. If the patchy brown areas of your lawn feel slightly warmer than the green areas of your lawn it usually means that particular area is not receiving enough moisture. It is best to core holes in this area, which will help deliver water right to the roots. The second item you may want to check will be for grubs.

There will be no mistaking these creatures. They are usually about the size of your thumb, creamy white with a brown head. They will feed on the grass roots to store up for winter and hibernate and emerge next year as adults.

These adults are the May and June beetles your see flying around at dusk in early summer. There are granular and liquid insecticides as well a natural beneficial nematodes to help control these critters.

The third item to check for will be a fungus. If you look closely at the blades of grass that are just around the edge of a dry patch you may notice lines or markings on each individual blade(s) of grass. If you have already checked for water or grubworms and are sure these two are not the problems this could be whats making your lawn turn brown.

There are also granualar and liquid fungicides available to help with this situation.

If you have any flowering trees or shrubs such as roses, crape myrtle, vitex, bird of paradise, oleander, among others it is very important to remove the spent blossoms as they appear. This action will help keep your flowering plants blooming up until frost. If this is not done the plants will spend a lot of energy into forming seeds at the expense of new blossoms.

Remember this usuallly works on just about any flowering plant. If your plants are looking a little pale in color you may want to incorporate some iron into your soil. Plants and lawns can lose some of their deep green color this time of year due to so much watering.

The soil may get leached out of it’s nutrients by August so it is important to replace these minerals with chelated iron or Ironite. This not only puts a deep green back into the foliage but also makes flowers more vibrant.

If it has been more thant 5 to 6 weeks since you last fertilized your lawn then it is time. For this area a 16-8-8 fertilizer with iron, sulphur and zinc is recommended. This may be used on a fescue, rye or bermuda lawn, as well as trees and shrubs.

If you have any questions concerning August Garden Tips please send us an email to: manager@guzmansgreenhouse.com

This article Dog Days of Summer is free to use as long as the following is attached: – Author Paul Guzman Website: http://guzmansgreenhouse.com email: manager@guzmansgreenhouse.com

Price : $34.48

Features

• Folding yard cart ideal for yard work ranging from collecting weeds to spreading bark, moving gravel or rocks or even pruning.
• Collapses for easy, ground-level loading; allows the user to rake, shovel or slide material into the canvas barrel
• Fabric canvas surface is made from vinyl-coated denier nylon
• UV-resistant, industrial-strength seams support up to 150 pounds in the 3-cubic-foot basin
• Weighs under 15 lbs. with a collapsible design

Amazon.com Review

Save your back from the strain of garden chores with Allsop’s innovative wheelbarrow. Say goodbye to heavy, unwieldy metal basins. The lightweight WheelEasy uses fabric canvas to transport waste, and folds for compact storage. Its ground-flush loading design further lessens lifting chores by raking leaves or uprooted weeds straight from the ground into the basin. Foam-rubber handles keep hands comfortable, while preventing them from slipping in damp conditions.

The wheelbarrow’s fabric surface is made from sturdy, 1000-point, denier nylon coated with vinyl–easy-to-clean with a hose or wet rag. UV-resistant, industrial-strength seams support up to 150 pounds of bark or sod in the 3-cubic-foot basin. Heavy-duty steel and a protective powder-coating help handles endure harsh weather. Designed for even weight distribution, Allsop’s basin also provides better balance and comfort than its metal counterparts. The WheelEasy’s single, pneumatic rubber tire traverses gardens and sidewalks with ease.

Allsop offers replacements for defective products with receipt. When shipped, this wheelbarrow measures 52 by 5 by 11 inches and weighs 12 pounds.–Jessica Reuling

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-07-12
Having just gotten back from a week at Boy Scouts summer camp, I could have sold at least six of these if I had them. It was invaluable for transporting cots, sleeping bags, cases of water, firewood, duffle bags, etc., and the design allows it to operate over gravel, dirt, tree roots and uphill with ease. It easily folds and takes up little room in our van. The only problem we experienced was being asked to transport other campers’ equipment! We have used it many times for camping, with the same comments, and would highly recommend it if you have to transport your camping equipment any distance. Just be prepared for all the envious comments!

Review date : 2008-05-30
Received defective front frame that is plastic and was cracked. One rear flap hook was missing. Company sent me a new front frame, no charge, which was nice. Have yet to receive the 2nd flap hook. I’m using a small bungee in its place for now. I used the cart for moving dirt and field stone and it works great! I like the product now, but wasn’t happy with its condition when it first arrived. The company does seem to remedy the problems easily.

Review date : 2008-05-25
Great Product! I Purchased awhile back and Love it.
We have a Spot in the Community Garden and this wheelbarrow is portable enough to bring with us in the trunk of our car since it folds flat.
Full Size Capacity, I have put 4 big bags of mulch inside to carry.
The others in the garden have purchased a few too.
The Nylon Is Very Druable after at least 1 yr.

Review date : 2008-04-27
The yard cart is a good investment but is slightly unweidly to push. If your load is light it is really handy especially if you need to lift it to a trash can.

Review date : 2008-03-30
This would be a great product if the wheel were not inflatable, if it were just a hard wheel. As it is, it’s VERY difficult to inflate the tire because the valve is hard to get to. Then, the tube just split wide open (it seemed pretty dry and crackly) within a couple months of use. Now, am I supposed to go buy a replacement tube for this little tire? What a drag. Even getting the tube out to see how bad the hole in it was: a big pain! – not nearly as easy as changing the tube in a bike tire. I would not recommend this version of this cart to anyone, I would get one that does not have a tube and tire system that needs to be filled with air and replaced. – Oh, and part of the plastic on one side of the assembly that holds the tire broke within days. It still worked, so I was able to use it anyway, but just another drag…

Many perennials, annuals and even flowering shrubs not only make great garden plants but wonderful cut flowers as well. Shrubs such as hydrangea, lilac, viburnum, witchhazel and forsythia work well as cut flowers. Generally, however, shrubs dont last as long as perennials or annuals. To make flowering shrubs last as long as possible as cut flowers, crush the ends of the stems to increase the amount of water the plant will intake.

Creating a cut flower gardens relies on choosing the appropriate plants. In the perennial border as short list of suitable cut flowers includes; astilbe, balloon flower, beebalm, chrysanthemum, coneflower, coreopsis, daffodil, delphinium, foxglove, daisy, golden thistle, iris, liatris, lily, lupine, lobelia, monkshood, peony, phlox, pinks, rose, sedum and yarrow. Most of these need the general care that any perennial flower would.

Annuals, whether planted in their own bed or mixed among other flowers in the perennial garden, are a great cut flower. Cutting them only encourages more flowers. Annuals which are recommended as cut flowers include; ageratum, aster, calendula, cleome, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, gladiolus, gypsophila, larkspur, marigold, salvia, snapdragon and zinnia.

Be sure to plant a few shrubs or perennials for foliage and greenery which can be added to your cut flower arrangements. Arbovitae, andromeda, ferns, holly, iris, juniper and mountain laurel all make excellent additions to flower arrangements.

Cut flowers, like all plants, grow in stages. Flowers start as unopened buds, expand to fully-open flowers and then begin to decline. Avoid using fully-open perennial blooms for instant color in your arrangement; use only those flowers that are just beginning to open or to show color. These will last much longer as a cut flower. Perennial flowers should be cut just as they are opening and beginning to show color. The opposite is true of annuals; they should be fully open when cut. Roses should have buds that are slightly open and firm.

Harvest your cut flowers during the cooler parts of the day; evening is fine, as is early morning. In the afternoon sun, flowers can wilt quickly. Be sure to take along a bucket of water to put them in as you cut. Select only the healthiest flowers available.

After harvesting your cut flowers, place them out of the sun in a cool spot for a few hours in a container of warm water with floral preservative. Remove any foliage from the lower half of the stem that will be below water level. Using a sharp knife, recut the stems on an angle, removing about half an inch of stem. Warm water will increase water uptake and floral preservative will help them last longer. Also, be sure to recut the stems frequently and remove blooms as they fade.

Cut flowers have a limited life but with proper care and handling you can increase their longevity and your enjoyment.

T Hallinan is a landscape designer and builder in Massachusetts. Visit his garden resource website http://www.gardenlistings.com for all kind of helpful information. For more garden guides visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/resources.htm