Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

Laurie Garretson is a Victoria gardener and nursery owner.

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With all the rain we have experienced lately, it’s been quite a chore keeping our yards mowed.

During the summer in our part of the world, many homeowners tend to focus on watering. Most lawns need ½ to 1 inch of water per week.

If you have a good, deep soil and a strong, healthy lawn, you may find ½ inch is plenty.

Grass grown in the shade will need much less water than its counterparts in the sun.

Hard clay soils could need much less water if grass is grown in total shade.

Also, this could be a difficult time for some of our yard trees. Pecan trees, for example, are now growing in size. Next, the pecan shells will begin hardening and then the pecans will begin to fill the shells with meat.

This is a time when good soil moisture, reduced weeds and good foliage health are very important parts of growing full pecans.

This is also an important time when pecans will start finalizing preparations for next year’s crops.

Now is a time to also cut back on fertilizing nut and fruit trees. We avoid feeding at this time of the year to prevent late season growth, which can be unproductive and subject to winter injury.

Another thing to look out for is chinch bugs, which love hot weather. Most of the time the bugs will start showing up in sunny spots next to a curb, sidewalk, driveway or other masonry structure. Homeowners should deal with the bugs at the first sign of infestations in their lawn. It is usually not necessary to treat the entire lawn area unless the grass area is totally infested.

Diatomaceous Earth is one natural product usually used to help get rid of chinch bugs.

Until next time, let’s try to garden with nature, not against it, and maybe all our weeds will become wildflowers.

Laurie Garretson is a Victoria gardener and nursery owner. Send your gardening questions to laurie@vicad.com or in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77902.

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