JULY CHECKLIST FOR GARDENERS
The following is a garden checklist:

• It’s time to check for bagworms on all junipers and conifers. As most of you will agree bagworms can be found on any living plant, so check all surrounding plants if you notice some on their favorite host plant junipers. Some of the recommended insecticides are Sevin, malathion, acephate, Bt, bifenthrin and spinosad. Always read and follow label directions.
• Pumpkins are planted this time of year for harvest this fall just in time for the holiday season. Keep plants well watered and free of insect pests. Spray every 7 days, or as needed with bifenthrin.
• Start planning for a fall garden. Make plantings of squash, tomato, beans, cucumbers, southern peas, and any other vegetables which will mature before late October.
• If your tomato leaves are turning yellow with dark spots from the bottom up and defoliating, this is early blight. This is a disease that needs to be prevented before it starts. This fungus can survive in the soil for several years. If you have early blight on your tomato plants spray with chlorothalonil (Daconil) every 4-5 days.
• Tomato blossom drop is a problem as daytime temperature hits the upper 90s and night temperature does not fall below 75. As cooler temperatures come your tomato plants will set again. If blossom end rot is a problem, remember it is a calcium deficiency and can be minimized by keeping the moisture level constant and applying a soluble calcium called Stop Rot, Blossom End Rot Control or Blossom End Rot Preventer. Soil test to make sure your pH is in the proper range.
• As you wrap-up the harvest on your tame blackberries, cut out the old canes (this years producing cane) to allow space for all the new canes that will produce fruit next year. As the new canes reach shoulder height, tip prune to encourage side branching, which also prevents new canes from arching over and reaching for the ground.
• Monitor water needs. Keep in mind that plants, trees in particular, exhibit a delayed visual stress symptom. These delayed symptoms could be wilt, leaf scorch, or loss of green coloration. Drought stress to many plants, trees especially, could be the beginning of a slow decline and eventual death that cannot be corrected once it occurs. To avoid these problems, don’t wait to water until you see these visual symptoms. For mature trees, water an inch or more once a week. Newly planted trees require watering twice a week during dry weather.
• Avoid heavy summer pruning. Light pruning is fine. Even small limbs in the way of the lawn mower are fine to remove during a hot summer.
• Raise your mower blades to cut your fescue lawn to 3 inches or more. Doing this will help protect grass roots from the summer heat and encourages a more extensive root system. Deeper roots will be beneficial during a drought. Water the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches every 3-4 days if possible. Don’t fertilize your fescue lawn during the summer.
• Spider mites can be a severe problem at this time of year. They become very active during hot weather. Most ornamentals and vegetable crops are subject to attack. Bifenthrin, malathion or insecticidal soap are good choices to use on ornamentals and malathion or insecticidal soap on vegetable crops. Read label directions before use and most important follow directions on days to harvest vegetables after use.
• Summer is the time to dig and divide irises. Irises do best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. High fertility encourages rhizomes to rot and fewer blooms. Fertilize lightly this fall for beds that you dig and divide this summer.
• If grass is invading flower beds, use a grass-specific herbicide such as Fusilade/Ornamec (fluazifop-P), Segment (sethoxydim) or Envoy (clethodim). In our trials fluazifop-P has been the most effective on bermudagrass. Always read and follow label directions.
• If your summer annuals look like they are tired, fertilize them with half a pound (one cup) of34-0-0 per 100 sq. ft. Watering is also important.
• You can expect fall webworms soon if not already. We can expect two to three generations of this tree defoliator each year, depending on the weather. Female moths lay eggs on the underside of host trees in April. Eggs begin to hatch in June and sometimes as late as August (depending on weather conditions). Control is not absolutely necessary. It is more of an aesthetic problem. Sevin, bifenthrin, acephate, permethrin, Dipel, or Thuricide will control these caterpillars.

Mark D. Keaton
County Extension Agent-
Telephone: 425-2335

For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 425-2335.

Moonflower is a fast-growing, old-fashioned annual vine that seems to have been forgotten by gardeners as they explore the new offerings of the garden industry.

​Who has the patience to actually grow a plant from seed and wait several months for it to bloom? We want it now, thank you.

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a close relative of morning glory and, like it, produces a long, slender, twining vine capable of growing a dozen or more feet high in the course of a year. The vine is capable of climbing a string, a chain link fence or sprawling over nearby shrubs.

It’s now established as an escaped plant throughout most of the world’s tropical areas, but it probably originated in Central America. In the deep South it forms a tuberous root and will survive as a perennial, but in most of Arkansas it’s annual.

Plants grow quickly from seed, forming large heart-shaped leaves up to 6 inches across. The moonflower blooms best in late summer and early fall, provided it doesn’t get too dry. The delicate, ephemeral white blooms are solitary and 5 to 6 inches across with a long, slender tube. Each blossom is marked with a narrow, five-pointed star in a slightly different shade of white.

Blooms open in late afternoon and are closed by the morning. Though I’ve not seen it, I suspect the large luna moth with its 6-inch long coiled proboscis provides pollination services.

Moonflower vines coil clockwise, regardless of where or how they are grown. Charles Darwin published his Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants in 1875 where he detailed his experiments and observation. He observed that some species twined in one direction while some went the other way and was unable to reverse the direction by applying different stimuli. The often heard statement that twining is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere is not correct. They’re programmed to rotate in only one direction.

Moonflower seeds were studied in the 1970s to see if they contained lysergic acid, a natural alkaloid called ergine which is remarkably similar in chemical structure to the hallucinogenic drug LSD. Unlike the common morning glory, moonflower was found to have no hallucinogenic properties.

Growing moonflowers from seed is easy. Because they have a hard seed coat, nicking the seed coat with a knife tip or rubbing seeds with a piece of sandpaper will improve germination. This is probably not necessary with seeds obtained from the seed companies but may help with pass-along seeds.

Seeds can be planted it in any reasonably good garden soil that receives at least six hours of bright light during the day, but don’t plant until the soil temperature has warmed above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re in a hurry, seeds can be planted indoors in a container and then transplanted to the garden when the soil warms.

​By: Gerald Klingaman, retired 
Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals
Extension News - September 16, 2005

​The best garden plants are easy to grow and satisfy specific needs; plus, they look good. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is one of the best garden plants because it is attractive, easy to grow and satisfies lots of very specific needs. You can eat it, it is a good weaver plant in the perennial border and it hosts the caterpillars of the eastern black swallowtail.

Fennel is an upright-growing perennial herb of the carrot family growing to 6 feet tall, which produces a number of hollow stems from a deep, taprooted crown. Its leaves are finely dissected to 16 inches long and terminate in threadlike filaments. The most common form, the bronze fennel (variety Purpureum), has maroon/bronze leaves, which give the plant a smoky-like look.  All parts of the plant have a licorice-like scent when crushed.

Florence fennel of the Azoricum Group grows only 3 feet tall and produces a cluster of swollen leaf bases that form a bulb-like swelling at the base of the leaf. This fennel is grown as an annual crop, with the “bulbs” harvested while succulent and sweet. This is eaten as a cooked vegetable and is often found in U.S. markets under its Italian name, finocchio.

Yellow flower clusters in flat-topped umbels to 3 inches across appear in midsummer near the ends of the stems. Individual flowers are tiny and give rise to a single “seed,” which has culinary uses.

Fennel is a Mediterranean plant that is now found naturalized throughout the world, especially in areas such as California, which has a similar climate. Its leaves are used as a flavoring similar to dill weed when cooking fish, and as an ingredient in stuffing recipes. Its seeds are a favorite in Italian cooking.

​In garden design, fennel is an excellent addition to the vegetable garden or the mixed perennial border. Though it can reach considerable height, its deep taproot and finely dissected leaves make it a good neighbor, and other plants can grow next to it without being crowded out. Plants are hardy from zones 5 through 9, making it one of the most cold-hardy members of this genus.

​Fennel is a must-have plant if the aim is to attract butterflies into the garden for it. Along with carrot, dill, parsley and Queen Anne’s lace, fennel is a preferred food plant for the caterpillars of the eastern black swallowtail. The caterpillars are two inches long, with concentric rings of black and yellow. They are voracious feeders and can strip young plants of most of their foliage, but fennel is tough enough — it responds by sending out a fresh supply of leaves.

Fennel requires sunny, well-drained soils but seems to tolerate both alkaline and acidic sites. It has good drought tolerance late in the year, but needs moisture during establishment to ensure the formation of a strong root system. Once established, fennel can be long-lived in the garden. Plants are semi-evergreen and serve as sites for overwintering eggs of the swallowtail butterfly. 

​By: Gerald Klingaman, retired 
Retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals
Extension News - September 16, 2011

​First, consider your soil. Sandy soil is going to hold less water than heavier clay soil. Therefore, it’s going to dry out faster while the clay-like soil will hold moisture longer (and is more susceptible to over watering). This is why amending the soil with compost is so important. Healthier soil drains better but allows for some water retention too. Appying mulch is also a good idea, reducing watering needs.

​Weather conditions determine when to water garden plants as well. If it is hot and dry, for example, you’ll have to water more often. Of course, in rainy conditions, little watering is needed.

​Deep watering encourages deeper and stronger root growth. Therefore, watering gardens about 2 inches or so once a week is preferable. Watering more often, but less deep, only leads to weaker root growth and evaporation.

​Overhead sprinklers are often frowned upon, with exception to lawns, as these also lose more water to evaporation. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation is always better, going straight to the roots while keeping foliage dry. Of course, there’s also the old standby—hand watering—but since this is more time consuming, it’s best left for smaller garden areas and container plants.
Knowing when and how to water a garden correctly can ensure a healthy growing season with lush plants.

​Article printed from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

Dahlias are herbaceous perennials of the daisy family native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America. They were cultivated by the Aztecs during the time of the Spanish conquest (1519-1524) but were not introduced into Europe until 1789. There are about 27 species of dahlias known with most of the garden hybrids derived from crosses between Dahlia coccinea and D. pinnata. ​

In nature dahlias are large, frost-tender herbaceous plants growing 6 to 20 feet tall with fleshy tuberous roots. When first introduced to Europe they were touted as a new food crop to compete with potatoes but it was soon discovered the tubers were “edible but not agreeable” and even rejected by livestock. ​

By the 1830s, dahlias were one of the most fashionable plants in European gardens and several hundred cultivars were available during this period. By the 1880s, they had gained their own plant society and new momentum when the large cactus flowered types began to appear. Over the past two centuries, more than 50,000 cultivars have been named. ​

The large traditional dahlias are a hands-on kind of garden flower. To keep them looking well they must be tended, fussed with and cultivated. The large types require staking and pruning to keep them looking their best and a considerable amount of room in the garden.  At the end of the growing season the tubers must be dug and stored over winter in a frost free area. This commitment of time and energy in today’s busy world has cut into the popularity of the plants.

​Attempts at remaking the image of the dahlia as a foot-tall bedding plant that is grown from seed have been ongoing over the past five decades, but has never really caught on with the gardening public. Newer attempts to introduce selections with an intermediate form for use in containers and mixed into the garden border may be more promising.

Black-leafed selections add color and contrast to the garden even when plants are not in flower.  Verwer Dahlias, a Dutch company established in 1967 near Haarlem, Netherlands, has taken the lead in developing many new dahlia clones including the black leafed Dark Angel series that average around two feet tall with 3-inch single or anemone type flowers in shades of pink and red. ​

Dahlias need full sun, a rich garden soil and attention to watering needs during the summer months. They do best in areas with bright, warm days and cool nights where they will flower during the summer and fall. Most of the modern cultivars are considered ever-blooming but in hot climates the blooms will be more concentrated during the latter part of the summer and fall when night temperatures have begun to drop. Deadheading and pinching is required to keep the plants full and floriferous. Tubers should be lifted after the first light frost and stored in dry peat moss in a well ventilated, frost-free area. ​

By: Gerald Klingaman, retired 
Retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals
Extension News - October 19, 2012

Prep: 20 minutes
Marinate: 1 to 24 hours
Grill: 17 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes

​Makes 8 servings​

Directions:
    1. Trim fat from meat. Score both sides of meat in a diamond pattern
        by making shallow cuts at 1- inch intervals; set aside. In a small bowl
        stir together rosemary, marjoram, oregano, garlic, paprika, kosher salt
        crushed red pepper and black pepper. Stir in the oil until combined.

   2.  Spoon herb mixture evenly over both sides of steak; rub in with your
        fingers. Place steak in a shallow dish. Cover and marinate in the
        refrigerator 1 to 24 hours.

  3.  For a charcoal grill, place meat on the rack on an uncovered and grill directly
       over medium coals. Grill for 17 to 21 minutes or until medium wellness
       (160F), turning once halfway through grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill.
       Reduce heat to medium. Place meat on grill rack over heat. Cover and 
       grill as above. 

 4.   Transfer grilled meat to a cutting board. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
       To serve, slice very thinly across the grain.

An easy and delicious salad 
make with the fresh produce
from your garden.

​Makes four servings.

Directions

     1. Place kale in large mixing bowl. Top with remaining
        ingredients and mix well.

     2. Portion into salad bowls for serving. Top with oil and
         vinegar or your favorite Balsamic dressing and serve.