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Hello, again!
Thankfully we have not seen triple digits this summer (knock on wood), but these temperatures in the upper 90’s are hot enough. Late July brings intense summer heat, which can take a toll on both vegetables and lawns. With a few timely steps, you can keep your garden producing and begin preparing for a lush lawn this fall.
Tomatoes and peppers are in full production now, but the stress of hot, dry weather can quickly affect yield and quality. I recommend a monthly application of ferti-lome Gardener’s Special around the base of each plant. We've sold this all-purpose fertilizer for decades, and there's a reason why. Gardener's Special contains both fast and slow release nitrogen, plus necessary trace elements to help increase plant development and crop yield. These elements are especially important, because they're depleted quickly from the soil by high-demand vegetable plants. Consistent deep watering is also key - aim for 1-1.5" of water per week, applied in the morning to avoid disease issues.
Because I'm getting tired of removing weeds from the garden, I put a 3-4” layer of straw mulch around the base of the plants to not only help prevent weeds, but help retain soil moisture and reduce temperature fluctuations as well. Not only has my hand weeding stopped, but my hand watering has all but stopped as well. With our frequent rains, the mulch retains the moisture which would have evaporated.
Tomatoes may suffer from blossom-end rot, especially if watering is inconsistent. This calcium deficiency can often be corrected by steady moisture levels, and applying ferti-lome Yield Booster which helps stop and prevent blossom-end rot caused by calcium deficiency. Blossom-end rot is characterized by a dark, sunken area at the blossom-end (bottom) of tomatoes. Yield Booster can also be used on tomatoes and other plants to correct other calcium deficiencies and produce larger, firmer fruits. Apply to foliage and growing fruit every 7 to 10 days as needed.
Believe it or not, late July is the time to start preparing your cool-season lawn for fall overseeding. The ideal window for overseeding in Kansas is late August to mid-September, when cooler nights return and weed pressure begins to decline. If you want detailed information about this process, or have questions about damage you're seeing in your lawn, I encourage you to stop by the store or attend one of our free lawn seminars. We have one this Saturday at 10am at both Johnson's locations.
When you're preparing to re-seed your lawn, you need Hi-Yield Killzall Weed & Grass Killer. The Killzall Ultra formula has a surfactant so it dries on fast and is rainfast in as little as two hours. Because Killzall is a non-selective weed control, it's important to keep it off desirable plants, grasses and vegetation. We presently have a special on our Killzall & Lawn Sprayer Package for $29.99 (regularly $39.98).
With a little prep now, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when cooler weather returns!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
