KJFM NEWS — Garden Talk is produced monthly at the Adair County University of Missouri Extension Center in Kirksville, Mo.

Ornamentals

• Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed.
• While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra, and spray hardy phlox to prevent powdery mildew.
• Newly planted trees and shrubs should continue to be watered thoroughly, once a week.
• Fertilize container plants every 2 weeks with a water-soluble solution.
• Keep weeds from making seeds now; makes less weeding next year.
• Keep deadheading spent annual flowers for continued bloom.
• Perennials that have finished blooming should be deadheaded. Cut back the foliage some to encourage tidier appearance.
• Plant zinnia seed by July 4th for late bloom in annual border.
• Prune climbing roses and rambler roses after bloom.
• Apply final treatment for borers on hardwood trees.
• Apply no fertilizers to trees and shrubs after July 4th. Fertilizing late may cause lush growth that is apt to winter kill.
• Hot, dry weather is ideal for spider mite development. With spider mite damage, leaves may be speckled above and yellowed below. Evergreen needles appear dull gray-green to yellow or brown. Damage may be present even before webs are noticed.
• Fall webworms begin nest building near the ends of branches of infested trees. Prune off webs. Spray with Bt if defoliation becomes severe.
• Divide and reset oriental poppies after flowering as the foliage dies.
• Semi-hardwood cuttings of spring flowering shrubs can be made now.
• Summer pruning of shade trees can be done now.
• Powdery mildew is unsightly on lilacs, but rarely harmful. Shrubs grown in full sun are less prone to this disease.
• Divide bearded iris now.
• Don’t pinch mums after mid-July or you may delay flowering.

Lawns

• Water frequently enough to prevent wilting. Early morning irrigation allows turf to dry before nightfall and will reduce the chance of disease.
• Monitor lawns for newly hatched white grubs. If damage is occurring, apply appropriate controls, following product label directions.

Vegetables

• Blossom-end rot of tomato and peppers occurs when soil moisture is uneven. Water when soils begin to dry; add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch.
• To minimize insect damage to squash and cucumber plants, cover them with lightweight floating row covers. Remove covers once plants flower.
• Dig potatoes when the tops die. Plant fall potatoes by the 15th.
• For the fall garden, sow seeds of collards, kale, sweet corn and summer squash as earlier crops are harvested.
• Set out broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants for the fall garden.
• Keep cucumbers well-watered. Drought conditions cause bitter fruit.
• Harvest onions and garlic when the tops turn brown.
• Sow seeds of carrots, beets, turnips, and winter radish for fall harvest.
• Cover grape clusters loosely with paper sacks for protection from birds.
• Prune and destroy old canes of raspberries after harvest is complete.
• Apply second spray to trunks of peach trees for peach borers.
• Early peach varieties ripen now. Thornless blackberries ripen now.

HARVESTING & STORING VEGETABLE CROPS

• Cantaloupe (muskmelon):  Harvest when the stem slips easily from the fruit. Lift the melon; if ripe it should separate easily from the vine. Store ripe melons in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to 10 days. Try a few boxes of frozen melon balls.
• Summer squash:  Harvest when fruit is young and tender. Skin should be easily penetrated with the thumbnail. Store for up to a week
• Watermelon:  Harvest when underside of fruit turns from whitish to yellowish. The tendril at the juncture of the fruit stem and the vine usually dies when the fruit is mature. Thumping an immature melon gives a ringing metallic sound, while a mature melon gives a dull thud. Watermelons will store at room temperature for about a week and at a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 or 3 weeks.
• Pumpkins, winter squash:  Harvest pumpkins and winter squash when the skin is hard and the colors darken. Both should be harvested before frost. Remove the fruit from the vine with a portion of the stem attached. Store on shelves in a single layer so air can circulate around them.
• Sweet corn:  Harvest sweet corn when kernels are plump and tender. Silks will be dry and kernels filled. Check a few ears for maturity: Open top of ear and press a few kernels with thumbnail. If milky juice exudes, it is ready for harvest.

Information on other vegetable crops can be found in MU Guide 6226.