Sharpening Clinic:

Bring your garden tools to be sharpened:

• gardening tools starting at $8
• knives starting at $5

August 21, 2010 - 8:30am to 11:30am

Things to expect:

Weather will remain hot, watch for signs of stress on plants. Soil temperatures are at their warmest - some plants roots do not function well. Mulch with organic compost and take care not to keep soil too constantly moist.

Hot weather means insects and fungus diseases are active. Don't water lawns daily and only water in the early am.

A prized stand of St. Augustine grass might be treated, as a preventative measure, with a fungicide for lawns.

Things to do:

This is a good time to stock up on Baker's Blend, potting soil, soil amendments, vegetable & flower seeds, pottery, garden art and MORE!

It is also time to start preparing your vegetable gardens for fall!

Concentrate on a deep thorough watering under spread of plants and trees.

Prepare garden beds for fall plantings. Add organic mulch/compost, Humates, Gypsum sulfur and an organic fertilizer for maximum results.

Early in the month, sow native crops such as amaranth, devil's claw, and other crops planted to take advantage of summer rains.

Palm trees and bermudagrass thrive in summer's heat and warm soil conditions.

Wash off plants. Control insects with blasts of water from a hose.