Maintenance:

It's not too late for rose pruning: Trimming your roses back by about one-third will take stress off the root system (the water they draw up won't have to go so far). Remove any yellow/diseased leaves. Air circulation is very important so you may want to thin out the center foliage a little. When planting roses, trim back as directed above and give lots of water. Be sure to space no closer than three feet apart on center.

Fertilizing and protecting roses from late season insects and diseases is also very important. You can easily feed and protect with Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate. No spraying is necessary. Just mix with water and pour around the plant base. One application fertilizes your roses to encourage fall bloom and protects plants from insects and diseases (including powdery mildew, black spot and rust) for up to 6 weeks. To protect against spider mites (and other insect pests), and cure and prevent disease, use Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Use. Always read and follow label instructions.

For the organic gardener, use Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Food. You should get continual blooms until the holiday season. Wait for dormant pruning until after that so you can enjoy them.

Mulch everything if you haven't: Watch for changes in color. If your lawn turns from bright green to grayish blue, water immediately.

Amend and mulch flower and vegetable beds: Prepare for fall planting with Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost. We carry several bark ground covers as well.

Fall is the time to trim back overgrown plants: Add mulch or compost before planting bulbs.

Plant or repair lawns with Grangetto’s Tall or Dwarf Fescue Lawn Seed. One pound covers 100 square feet. Top dress with Kellogg’s Topper to keep seed bed moist.

As the weather cools down we will have fewer insects to contend with, including mosquitoes! But watch out for snails and slugs! Visit Grangetto’s to find the best solution for eliminating snails and slugs from your garden.

Plant lawns with Sod. A new variety now available is Seashore® Paspalum. Click here to read more.

Clean up bloomed-out perennials.

Harvest late fruits and veggies daily.

Combat pests on vegetables, flowers, shrubs and lawns with Bayer Multi Insect Killer. For the organic gardener, use Green Light Lawn & Garden Spray with Spinosad.

Thin out heavy shade trees before Santa Ana winds blow.

Prune summer-blooming shrubs with Corona Pruners, but wait to prune spring-blooming shrubs until after their bloom period.

Summer prune cordon and espalier apples if you have not already done so and if shoots are mature enough. Be sure to attend on our Fruit Tree Pruning Workshops with Richard Wright.

Lift and divide agapanthus, daylily, clivia, Shasta daisy, gazanias & ornamental grasses as many of these become crowded after a few years in the ground and blooms decline.

• With a serrated bread knife, cut large clumps into two - four smaller pieces. Replant immediately and follow with a deep soak.

One way to help your trees survive strong Santa Ana winds is to reduce turbulence by pruning. The idea is to thin your dense trees by opening areas so that strong winds can blow through without damaging limbs.

For fallen leaves and dust, use an Echo Backpack Blower for comfort and performance! Check out our hot deals on Echo Power Equipment this month.

Hoe beds and borders regularly to keep weeds down.

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Plant...

Spring flowering bulbs such as ranunculus, tulip, daffodil, hyacinth.

Sweet peas -- both bush and vine types, from seed. We have a variety of high quality Stover® and Lilly Miller seeds.

Cool weather vegetables such as cabbage, peas, broccoli and lettuce.

Permanent landscape plants, lawns and trees.

Remove heat loving annuals such as marigolds and fill them with cool season annuals! Plant winter annuals such as pansy, snapdragon, stock, larkspur, Iceland poppy in full sun. In shady spots plant primrose, English daisy, cineraria and cyclamen.

Plant wildflower seed mixes before a heavy rain. Stover® Seed as a variety of quality wildflower seed mixes that will bloom beautifully! Scratch the surface of the soil with a heavy rake, scatter the seeds, top with a lightweight potting soil and keep moist until germination. Flexrake® Lawn and Shrub Rakes on sale this month!

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Fertilize:

Fertilize shrubs and trees with a general purpose fertilizer such as Best Triple Pro 15 or Best Iron Supreme 16-4-4. For the organic grower, try a fertilizer from Dr. Earth.

Fertilize cool season lawns such as fescues and rye with Best Iron Supreme 16-4-4. (NEW PRODUCT) view the label here.

Fertilize winter annuals with an organic fertilizer.

Fertilize azaleas and camellias with a gentle, organic fertilizer such as Dr. Earth Azalea & Camellia Food.

Fertilize fruit trees with Dr. Earth Fruit Tree Fertilizer or Gro Power
5-3-1.

Feed plants in containers to keep blooms coming.

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Water:

There’s still a month or more of warm weather. Wait until next month to re-adjust timers. Better yet, install a new Weather Based Controller that will adjust your water based on the real-time weather reports! Speak with a Grangetto’s Representative to learn more about water saving irrigation devices.

Make sure citrus trees are watered adequately during this month. If the roots go dry, the result can be split fruits.

Water lawns, ornamentals and vegetables.

• Be sure you follow your local watering restrictions and guidelines.

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Pest to Watch For:

Gophers: Use Wilco Gopher Getter

Squirrels: Use Wilco Squirrel Bait & Bait Station or for live trapping use the Squirrelinator

Rats and Mice: Use Hawk All Weather Rodent Block

Caterpillars: Use Safer Caterpillar Killer, Monterey Garden Insect Spray or Green Light Lawn & Garden Spray with Spinosad

Rose Pests: Use Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower Care or Bayer 3-in-1 Insect Disease and Mite Control

Ants: Use Grant’s Ant Stakes or Terro Liquid Ant Baits. For larger areas such as around many fruit trees, use the AntPro Liquid Bait & Bait Station

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Find a shady spot and relax.
Enjoy your garden!