Our August checklist is short but it is time to start getting ready for fall planting and preparations!
1. August is the best time to plant palm trees. Palms love the heat and do best planted in the summer. Dig the hole as deep as the root ball and 2′ wider around. Do not amend the soil in the planting hole. Palms trees will do best in our native soil and will not grow as well if you amend the soil. Maintain consistent soil moisture for two weeks by watering daily. The water should soak through the depth of the hole each time. As it cools, you can gradually decrease the amount of water to every 7 days. After this time, deep-water the established palms very 1- 2 weeks in the summer and every 3-5 weeks in the winter. If you have runoff, you will need to adjust the watering as needed to minimize water runoff while getting the deep watering needed.
2. You can still install Bermuda lawns from seed or sod. Water 4 times daily for 5-10 minutes on new lawns to keep the soil moist until the roots begin to expand into the soil for the first 2 weeks. You may gradually reduce the frequency of the watering after this but add more time to the duration so the water soaks through the root system. Cut back to 2 times a day in 2 weeks, and 1 time a day in 3 weeks. Watch the lawn for dry areas and fix sprinkler coverage as needed. If the lawn gets too dry it will feel hard and crackly to the touch. This means you need to increase water. Over the long term, Bermuda does best with deep watering. Many of our customer’s water daily in the extreme heat but recommendations are actually every 2-3 days. Try the screwdriver test. After watering, push a long screwdriver into the ground. It needs to push into the ground easily after watering at least 12-18?. If it does not , then you are not watering long enough. Unfortunately, if you have runoff you will not be able to water long enough so you have to water more often. Do not forget to fertilize. This goes a long way in reducing water needs.
Check out our Bermuda watering guide for more details:
http://www.landscapearizona.com/blog/desert-bermuda-grass-care/
http://www.landscapearizona.com/blog/arizona-bermuda-grass-water-guide/
3. Fertilize citrus plants/trees. Apply 1/3 of the tree’s annual nitrogen in August or September.
4. Watch for squash bugs. Examine your garden crops for these bugs. They suck the sap from leaves and stems. Adults are 1/2″ long, brownish gray and shaped like a shield. The hide in the leaf litter, under rocks, or boards at night. Pull mulch away from plants to eliminate hiding spots. In the morning, stomp the bugs. Examine the underside of leaves for eggs laid in rows and crush them. Remove the leaf litter in the winter to prevent them from surviving the winter.
5. Remove mosquito breading ares. Mosquito’s breed in very shallow water. Remove any standing water. Make sure pooling water on the ground drains within 24 hours and empty saucers beneath containers or other receptacles.
6. Aerate your lawn in dry patches. Bermuda lawns benefit from aeration every 2-4 years to reduce compaction and aid in movement of oxygen, water, and nutrients to the root zone.
For Arizona landscape installation and Arizona landscape design contact Arizona Living Landscape & Design. 480-390-4477.
