June is the month when afternoon thunderstorms start appearing. Rain, humidity, heat and lots of sun change the way plants grow. Everything speeds up, including diseases and pests. Keep a sharp eye out for odd leaf growth patterns and yellow veining on leaves.
June brings glorious flowers to plumeria/frangipani, crape myrtle and royal poinciana. This is the Florida that many snowbirds never get to see.
• Turf requires a complete, slow-release fertilizer. Due to Lee County restrictions, fertilizer containing nitrogen CANNOT be used during the rainy season. If your lawn needs help, use iron. A high potash count will also help roots become vigorous. It’s too hot to use an herbicide.
• Turf Die-back – If you have irregular dead patches to your lawn, chinch bugs are probably the culprit. Proper mowing, fertilization, and irrigation can greatly reduce the susceptibility of St. Augustine grass to chinch bug infestations. Grass should be kept to a height of 3 to 4 inches to ensure a strong root system, which will increase its tolerance against chinch bug infestations. Added moisture in lawns also encourages chinch bug infestations. Thatch – a spongy mat of shoots, stems and roots – provides a prime habitat for chinch bugs to feed and lay their eggs. If a significant layer of thatch covers a lawn, it may be removed mechanically by vertical mowing or power raking.
• Prune shrubs that have ceased to flower or at least have slowed down their flowering.
• Keep insects in check with horticultural oil or Organocide. (Organocide is an insecticide and fungicide, with the active ingredient – sesame oil.) Apply late in the day when the temperature has begun to drop a bit. Spray up into the plant, under the leaves, where the insects live.
• Oleander caterpillars will be making a feast of your oleander shrubs…they are eating machines. Use Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) or Thuricide to eradicate them. Use it as soon as you see these orange and black caterpillars…the smaller, the better, the more effective. Remember, these caterpillars are poisonous – do not touch!
• Humidity + Heat = Fungus. Coppercide is another good product and should also be applied late in the day. Remove affected leaves from the ground. Be proactive with fungicide when you know a particular plant is prone to it.
• Now is a great time to plant anything – take advantage of the summer rains. Since they are cultivated with potable water, newly purchased plants need an adjustment period to our somewhat salty irrigation water and soil. It might appear wasteful to irrigate during rainy season, but consider hand watering new plantings to dilute the salty irrigation water.
