Combating the heat and dry conditions

‘My grass looks bad, my shrubs are crunchy, my tomatoes won’t set, and the leaves on my trees are dropping!!! HELP! What do I need to do?’

The answer is ... PRAY FOR RAIN! This heat will end at some point; in the mean time, here are our recommendations to make your landscape healthier.

The obvious is to water but there is a science to watering.

What is your method of watering? Sprinkler system, water hose, dog or drip? Lawns always perform better under a regulated sprinkler system; however, shrubs and trees need more water. If your woody plants are not under drip, it very beneficial to lay a water hose at the base, turn it on slowly and let it run several hours. A good slow soak will penetrate down deep to the lower root structure. Allow the top several inches of soil to dry out before the next watering.

Several products that will aid your plants are, SUPERthrive© which is a vitamin/hormone product that will reduce stress, and Miracid© which will help unlock tied up nutrients in the soil profile, releasing them for plant uptake.

Another crucial element to add is mulch! Mulch is icing on the cake. I’m not sure it is possible to over-water with all the 100+ degree days, but be aware the over-watering and under-watering will result in wilting leaves.

Until we meet again, this is Vronka, Tom’s resident horticulturist.

Red Spiders!

Grrrrrrrrr!

You can tell it is dry, as red spiders are eating some of our trees up.

Identifying red spider mites

A plant that is infested by red spider mites will start to look unhealthy and will have a "dusty" appearance to the undersides of their leaves. Close inspection will reveal that the dust is actually moving and is, in fact, the spider mites. The plant may also have some webbing on the underside or on the branches of plant.

You cannot easily make out the details of red spider mites with the naked eye, but with the help of a simple magnifying glass, you can make the details more visible. A red spider mite will be all red. There are other kinds of spider mites, such as the two-spotted spider mite, that are only partially red. Red spider mites will be all red. Knocking some off onto a piece of white paper will make it easier to distinguish the colors and identify the mite.

Contact Tom's Tree Place in Lubbock at (806) 799-3677, and we'll give you options for controlling this mite.