Tips from the Southside Master Gardeners to keep your garden healthy.

PLANT Late August is the best time to plant Oriental poppies.  A mulch of oak or sycamore leaves will give them needed protection the first winter.

PRUNE
Maples and birches may be pruned after new growth has hardened.

FERTILIZE
At the beginning of the month trim back and fertilize perennials for the second blooming.

Feed roses for the last time this season.  When cutting blossoms, cut above the 5-leaflet leaf.

WATER
During dry weather be sure to thoroughly water azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and heather

from the Southside Master Gardeners

TIPS
When cutting the bloom of lily bulbs, leave as much of the stem and foliage as possible.  Remove faded flowers, but wait for stems to turn yellow before cutting back.

Pull weeds before they set seed.  “One year to seed, 3 years to weed.”

MULCH
Replenish the mulch in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and shrub border.  Mulching helps keep down weeds, reduces moisture loss from evaporation, and contributes organic matter to the soil as it decomposes.

CHORES
Cut off faded blooms of summer phlox, yarrow, and day lilies in order to have a second bloom