Sam Says for July 2018

• Remove the anthers from Asiatic lily flowers as soon as the flower opens. Doing so will keep the flowers In bloom longer. Be very careful not to get the brown pollen on you or your clothes, it will stain.
• Prune and add lime to lilac bushes. Prune out older/taller stems and apply lime at the rate of one to two pounds per bush. Dig the lime in to the soil and water well.
• Keeping cucumbers well-watered will help prevent bitterness.
• Overwatering cabbage can cause the heads to split. When harvesting cabbage, cut the head off a little high. Often new heads form on the stump left behind.
• Raise lawn mower height to mow grass at 3 inch tall to help keep the ground from dying out during peak high temperature months of July and August.
• Watch for pear slug on pear and cherry tree leaves. They are small pear shaped black or brown shinning larvae of a fruit fly. You can fold the leaf over and pinch them or you can remove the leaf with the slug on it. Use an insect spray as a last resort.
• Prune Wisteria this month. Prune long whip like growth back to 3 to 4 leaves on each stem where the stem joins a main trunk or limb. This same pruning should also be done again in late September or early October.
• Keep blueberry bushes well-watered to get the berries plump and juicy. If possible, keep moldy and bird damaged berries picked off. Blueberries freeze best if laid out on cookie sheets and frozen individually. After frozen, place in plastic bags or containers until used.