| July temperatures in southern New Mexico and | | | | them which may be compared to the "wrinkles or |
| western Texas are dry and hot. Please keep an | | | | folds" on your finger.the heat can really take a toll |
| eye on your watering systems. Make sure dripper | | | | on just about all non-native plants. Make sure you |
| and emitters and sprinkler heads are all working | | | | fertilze regularly. Most plant really are not picky |
| properly, before you go on vacation. Try not to | | | | about what you feed them just as long as you |
| rely on neighbors to water for you | | | | feed them something. Plants are like people that |
| The most common problem is usually the lawn. | | | | cannot just live on water alone, especially in our |
| How much water does one need for their lawn? | | | | nutrient lacking soil. |
| This is the most challenging question to answer. | | | | If you find that even after using fertilzer regularly |
| For cool season grasses such a fescue, rye, and | | | | still does not "green-up" your plants, they may be |
| bluegrass it's about 3" of water evenly distributed | | | | lacking a secondary nutrient such as iron, sulphur, |
| per week | | | | zinc or other micro nutrient. Products such as |
| For warm season grasses such a bermuda or | | | | IRONITE, GROW-MORE CHELATED IRON, or |
| hybrid bermuda is about 2" to 2 1/2" per week. | | | | FERTILOME SOIL ACIDIFIER can help return |
| This is during the hottest time of the year, usually | | | | plants to their green lush look again. |
| June,July, and August. Your lawn will typically need | | | | Visit Guzman's Greenhouse Gardening for more |
| less during the cooler months of the year, so | | | | free gardening tips |
| please water responsibly. Just remember it is not | | | | Keep in mind that these products are to be used |
| how long you leave you watering system on but | | | | in conjunction with a regular fertilzing program and |
| how much water you acutally apply to your lawn. | | | | should not be substituted for fertilize. MEDICAP |
| If you begin to notice "spots" on your lawn | | | | IRON IMPLANTS have proven to help severly |
| chances are it is suffering from dehydration. The | | | | chlorotic plants/trees where soil applications are |
| easiest way to detect this is if your walk through | | | | not practical. Other issues to watch for are |
| your lawn and look back and noticed exactly | | | | insects. |
| where you were walking, then that is your sign | | | | Spider mites thrive in the dry summer heat and |
| that your lawn needs a drink of water. | | | | can breed at phenomenal rates. Spider mites |
| If you begin to notice brown patches in your lawn | | | | often attack junipers, cypress, roses among a list |
| and have ruled out a watering deficiency, you | | | | of other plants. Sometimes an occasional "hosing |
| may want to examine the soil that is just under | | | | off" with a strong stream of plain water can keep |
| and check for grub worms. If you have grubs, | | | | mites at bay without killing any beneficial insects in |
| you will NOT mistake them for anything else! | | | | the proccess. These insects are very small (about |
| These guys are as big as your thumb and feed | | | | the size of a speck of dust) and usually spin small |
| vigorously on grass roots. We have several | | | | webbing. |
| products to help eliminate these "critter" such as | | | | If you find that water is not working for you |
| BENEFICIAL NEMATODES, 24-hour grub killer and | | | | there are an number of insecticides available to rid |
| season long grub killer from Bayer. | | | | your plants of these pests. Products such as |
| If you have ruled out grubs and water as culprits | | | | ORHTO BUG-B-GON, GREENLIGHT NEEM OIL, |
| for your brown patches, then the next thing to | | | | SCHULTZ INSECT SPRAY, HIGH YIELD |
| look out for is fungus. Sometimes the easiest | | | | KELTHANE among other products will eradicate |
| way is to examine the individual blades of grass | | | | these mites. |
| right next to the brown patch. | | | | Article by Paul Guzman: All Rights Reserved. |
| The grass stems may have unusual markings on | | | | |