By Nancy Bauer
Terrified of the return of Japanese Beetles??
Here are some suggestions for dealing with them!! Manual labor: “Take a bucket of soapy water and just pick ‘em off.” Plant wild roses instead of domesticated varieties that the beetles love. If you have a small property, be wary of
pheromone traps which can draw hordes of bugs and turn your garden into a feeding ground.
Aaand … don’t expect miracles. Japanese beetles can eat 300 varieties of plants and they
don’t have any predators here.
July Gardening Tips for Flowers, Ground Covers, Perennials, and Ornamental Grasses
Continue to deadhead and weed regularly. Monitor all your plants for early signs of disease or pest infestation. Divide bearded irises.
Snakes
Depending on where you live, you can expect to see snakes in Colorado. The good news is that out of more than twenty snakes found here, only two are poisonous. (They have rattles.) We do not have rattle snakes in Homestead!! To deter snakes from your garden, try to limit places where they take shelter or rest. Trim tall grass, clear tall weeds and brush get rid of rock piles and stacks of firewood.
Also, limit their food supply, mainly insects and rodents. Keep in mind that bird feeders and pet food attract rodents. If you feed pets outside, pick up pet dishes as soon as the pets have finished eating! Use bird feeders only in the cold weather when they have trouble finding food.
Keep your turf healthy
Turf areas can become weedy unless you are diligent about good watering, and mowing. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure the heads are properly operating and are providing adequate coverage. Sometimes heads can get out of alignment, become clogged or even possibly be broken. Water deeply and infrequently which will stimulate root growth. Check turf for signs of dryness especially on south or west facing slopes and increase watering in these areas.
Mow the lawn no less than 2-21/2’ in height, never cutting more than one-third of the growth.
Keeping your lawn mower blades regularly sharpened (about once a month) avoids ragged cutting, which also increases moisture loss and stress. Hardware stores, like the Big Tool box, provide this service.
Lawn Watering Times:
Use this chart to help determine the number of minutes to water each zone on the days that you water:
Watering Months Watering Time
Fixed Spray Heads Rotor Heads
July 23 50
August 20 43
September 13 29
October Water as needed, especially trees and shrubs
*Keep in mind that these times are averages. Your water use should vary depending on rainfall and type of grass or plants, as well as shade and other characteristics of your yard. Remember no watering between 10 am and 6 pm.