August 5 2006 Timely Tips

GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

BEXAR COUNTY

BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

August 5, 2006

  • August, the hottest and driest month, is deep summer in San Antonio. Good xeriscape plants will make it through the month without supplemental watering; others will need conscientious watering to stay prosperous. August is the month when good mulching makes a difference. Maintain the mulch layer at 2-4 inches to help avoid soil moisture loss.
  • Change your sugar water every week. Pour the old liquid in a shallow dish for the butterflies. Keep birdbaths full.
  • Maintain bloom on the crape myrtles and Texas Lilac Vitex by removing (deadheading) the spent blooms. You’ll get 2-3 times the number of blooms the next time around.
  • If you have Bermuda grass in the flower beds, use Grass Be Gone or related product. If you follow directions, it will kill only the Bermuda grass and not hurt the flowers.
  • In August, all grasses require some water to stay green. Check out the San Antonio Water System’s web site to find out how much for your grass in your yard. If you have Bermuda grass, Zoysia, or Buffalo grass, you don’t need to water as much as or as frequent as St. Augustine grass.

David Rodriguez is County Extension Agent-Horticulture with Texas Cooperative Extension in Bexar County. For more information, call the Master Gardener “Hotline” (210) 467-6575 or visit our County Extension website at http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu

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