It is time to check your sprinkler coverage. Once the water begins running off you are wasting it. So set your sprinklers for 5-7 minutes in the early am and again for 5-7 minutes in the midday. During summer established gardens do well with watering every 3 days. New plants require more water in the first 2-3 weeks. Please remember that applying surface mulch around your plants will help to keep the roots cool and will help to retain the moisture.
Lemony Cheesecake Bars
What you'll Need: ¾ cup shortening 1/3-cup brown sugar, packed 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup seedless raspberry jam FILLING: 4 packages cream cheese, softened (8-ounces each) 1-1/2 cups sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1/3-cup fresh lemon juice 4 tsp. grated fresh lemon peel
Step by Step:
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Press dough into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Bake at 350º for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam. For filling; beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice and peel just until blended. Carefully spoon over jam. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate.
Yield: 20 servings
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Cannas- The flowers of these wonderful plants appear in many different colors. There are also different leaf color variations. Cannas love full sun. They multiply rapidly so give them plenty of room to grow. Plant 3" to 5" deep depending on mature height and at least 18" to 24" apart. Plant any time in mild areas. In colder areas wait until after last frost. Mulching in the winter is needed in colder areas or keep in pots and bring in for the winter.
Hibiscus- Originating in Asia and the Pacific islands, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is Hawaii's state flower and the national flower of Malaysia. Thousands of colors and combinations of colors ( no true blue or black), some varieties have blossoms 2" in diameter and others, 10-12". Some with bushes that will only grow a foot in several years while others may grow to 15 feet if left undisturbed in the ground. Singles, doubles, some blooming almost every day, the variation in the tropical hibiscus family is astounding!
Ginger- Most gingers can be planted in the ground to good effect providing a different texture and fountain effect to the landscape. Zones given are for root hardiness when planted outside. Blooms may require a longer growing season in the lower zones. You can always grow these as specimens in a cool greenhouse or sun porch and take them outside for the summer.
Warm Weather Planting
Take advantage of the warm summer days to plant frost-tender shrubs and trees, such as palms, bananas, bougainvilleas and hibiscus.
These are great additions to the garden as long as they are properly placed. Select a location that receives half to full day sun. A bit of frost protection, such as a wall or a corner by a fence, is best to help prevent frost kill next winter. Almost all of these subtropical plants love as much heat as possible.
Plant using equal amounts of Planting Mix and native soil. Blending the mix with some soil is much better than replacing the total volume of soil. This blending provides a gradient to allow the roots to acclimate and grow easily into the native soil. Plant so that the root ball is 1” above the surrounding soil.
Cover this exposed soil with compost or planting mix. In a short amount of time, the hole will settle to the correct depth. Keep moist for the first 6 to 8 weeks.
Your new plant will need more frequent watering than the existing ones.
Backyard
Grove
Have you have
ever thought about how nice it would be to be able to go into your own back
yard and enjoy the luscious sweet fruits of a great nectarine?
Or maybe you
crave the sweet juicy plum you remember from your childhood. If so, now
is the time to get started and plant your dream orchard. It isn't necessary
to have a large area of land in order to enjoy the taste that only tree-ripened fruit can give. Consider planting three (a nectarine, peach and plum)
in the same hole. Simply dig a hole that is large enough to accommodate
three root balls. Place the trees in the hole so that the root balls touch
in a triangular pattern. Lean the trees out away from each other so the
tops have a bit more room. Now with a little water, fertilizer and patience,
you will be enjoying three types of fruit in the space that one tree would
normally take. Citrus trees can be planted this way as well. The combinations
are endless. So make out that wish list and get planting.
I was called to a home on Lodosa drive where a eucalyptus had been brought down, a casualty of some water and the eucalptus beetle.
The eucalyptus has been a great addition to the landscape in North America for over 150 years. This Australian native is evergreen, very fast growing, drought tolerant and extremely hardy.
Up till the mid 80’s it was absolutely pest free. Now, however, there are several pests that feast on many of the eucalyptus species with great zeal. Since this tree is not native to this country, there has never been a chance for beneficial insects to populate the area. When new pests are introduced, there are no checks and balances to keep the pest population under control. So when foreign pests do arrive in the U.S., they have a heyday and multiply extremely rapidly.
The eucalyptus tortoise beetle, first discovered in the U.S. in Riverside in 1998, has since moved through Southern California and along the coast. In its native Australia, this pest is not a problem and is found only in very small population. The tortoise beetle is a voracious nocturnal feeder that can strip a eucalyptus tree virtually overnight.
The insect can be easily identified by leaf damage created. The initial infestation will show leaves with semicircles or half-moons removed from the leaves. (Do not confuse this with the damage from the leaf cutter bee, which does not feed on eucalyptus.) After the population increases, the tortoise beetle will consume all but the mid rib of the leaf leaving a characteristic wispy or lacy pattern usually toward the top of the tree.
If you discover these insects in your tree, there is hope. The predators have been introduced into the U.S., but it will probably take three to four years to bring the tortoise beetle population into check. To keep this insect and others from damaging your tree, you need to keep your eucalyptus healthy. This means to provide deep water every two weeks in the summer as well as fertilizer two to three times a year. Do not use a high nitrogen fertilizer as it creates lush growth that attracts the insect. Be sure to clean up under the tree because debris provides an ideal place for the insect to hide and breed.
If the population becomes large and the health of the tree becomes a question, you can use Bayer Tree & Shrub insecticide to eliminate the problem. Simply dilute the recommended amount of product in a bucket of water and pour around the base of the tree. The insecticide will absorb into the root system and in a matter of 1 to 2 weeks translocate to the top of a tree as tall as 80 feet. So don't cut down that Eucalyptus; the problem will be resolved in a few years. However if you are considering new eucalyptus planting, select resistant varieties like the Dollar eucalyptus (Eucalyptus polyanthemos) or Pink Iron Bark eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon rosea). For additional information, let our nursery professionals provide solutions to your problems.
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¾ cup shortening
