Monthly Tips – August

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Mercer County Horticultural Activities and Expectations

Click a month button above to view a list of possible problems you might find in your home, landscape or garden during that month and also see a list of suggested “To Do” items:

Things to Do This Month:

  • Turf
    • begin process for lawn renovation
    • control weeds, selective or non-selective, for renovation – early to mid month
    • seeding (late)
    • fertilize zoysia grass for last time
    • control grubs (mid to late month for most products, including Dylox)
      – apply imidacloprid only up to August 15th
    • watch for sod webworm injury to turf
    • watch for chinch bug injury that becomes evident in hot dry weather
  • plant lettuce, spinach for fall crop
  • finish replanting iris
  • control poison ivy
  • control crickets and grasshoppers

Things to Watch for This Month:

  • peak activity in dog tick nymphs, activity for deer tick nymphs and lone star tick larvae
  • growing yellowjacket and hornet populations – may become noticeably agressive
  • cicadas and cicada killers wasps
  • peak scoliid (digger) wasp activity
  • hummingbird (hawk) moths on flowers
  • spider activity
  • air pollution (esp. ozone) injury to plants
  • powdery mildew on some ornamentals
  • nutrient deficiencies noticeable on underfertilized annual flowers and vegetables
  • partial defoliation of trees damaged by spring-onset leaf spotting diseases
  • bud set occurs on spring blooming woody plants