- Plant Bermuda lawns during the active growing season, May through August.
- Fertilize Bermuda grass lawns each month beginning late April or early May with nitrogen according to the directions on the package. Apply Iron once per month according to the directions on the package to keep the lawn green.
- Once every two or three years dethatch Bermuda lawns if necessary. Only dethatch during the active growing season, May through August. This enables the turf to quickly recover.
- Apply one inch of water per week to Bermuda lawns at a minimum.
- Raise the mowing height to 2.5 to 3 inches during the warmer months to keep the moisture in the soil and keep it from drying out.
- Prepare bed for fall planting through solarizing the soil: irrigate and then cover with clear plastic for six weeks. This will kill or drive out many of the soil pathogens.
- Plant Seeds: Snap Beans, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Corn, Cucumbers, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce (Head & Leaf) Leeks, Mustard, Green Onions, Summer Squash
- Keep your garden covered to prevent excessive heat and sun from killing the plants that are still thriving.
- Cut back on fertilizing established roses to encourage plants to slow down for the hot summer. Water deeply as temperatures climb. Hose off plants in the early morning to increase humidity and control spider mites. Toward the end of August and into September add an iron supplement if roses show yellowing from iron deficiency.
- Apply nitrogen fertilizer to your fall ripening fruit trees (navels & tangerines) to help increase fruit size.
- Apply nitrogen and zinc to pecan trees to produce normal size leaf growth and to enhance kernel development. Pecans also need more water than most other shade trees.
- Increase water application to your landscape plants as the weather warms. Pay attention to irrigation needs of plants.
- Apply mulch to the ground around the base of heat sensitive plants keep the roots cooler and prevent evaporation. Keep the mulch several inches away from the trunk. You can cover the mulch up with the landscape rock to hide it.
- Apply chelated iron to bottle brush, pyracantha, silk oak, and other plants with iron deficiency symptoms.
- Cut off spent blooms to stimulate re-bloom.
- Native and imported heat tolerant plants can be planted right through the summer months. They will need to be watered on a regular basis until fall.
- Transplant palms in the heat of the summer for best results. The love the heat.
- Protect newly transplanted trees from heavy winds and dust storms by staking.
- Late August or early September fertilization will benefit most plants struggling to have a flush of growth before slowing down for the winter. The growth put on before dormancy will store more energy during the winter that will be available to the plant when it pushes growth in the spring.
