Your Monthly Grow-zine
July 2023
Things to do in the garden this month...
Enjoy summer flowers, such as this white variety of Oleander. These hardy plants bloom all summer long.
Run irrigation twice a week if there's been no rain. (Note: Some areas have regulations against watering more than once a week - check local sources for rules where you live.)
Check your plants for bugs. Take cuttings in sealed plastic bags to your local nursery for diagnosis and treatment options.
FROM THE GROW-ZINE ARCHIVES
Want to take it easy this summer?
Keep things small...with a growth regulator
Hibiscus 'Jamaica Red'Sometimes you see "Dwarf Hibiscus" for sale.
But these are actually full-size Hibiscus that have been treated with a dwarfing hormone - AKA growth regulator.
In several months they will grow into full-size plants...
Unless...you continue to treat them with a growth regulator to keep them small.
Nurseries and growers sometimes use this type of product to keep a plant more compact and full, with greener leaves and lots of flowers. It's often used in the art of bonsai, as well.
But homeowners generally have no idea this is something they can do so there's less trimming needed for shrubs.
Before applying, trim the shrub back to the approximate size (or a bit smaller) you'd like to keep it.
I have to tell - you this stuff is astonishing! I cut back my huge Lakeview Jasmine (which hardly ever blooms) less than two weeks ago, applied a growth regulator, and today every branch has new growth and is covered in buds and flowers!
How long the dwarfing agent lasts depends on the strength of the dosage used. Continued use doesn't harm the plant.
However...these products are EXPENSIVE. Be sure to read labels before you purchase. There are some available on Amazon and you might find a local nursery that sells them. If the nursery grows their own plants they may agree to sell you a small amount to try.
Taking your dog to the nursery
You see people taking their dogs along everywhere these days. But before you take your pet to the plant nursery, keep these things in mind:
Pavements and black landscape fabric - which is where you'll usually be walking - can be very hot and not good for paws.
Walking around a nursery in a Florida summer can make all of us thirsty - including our dogs. Bring your own water and bowl for the dog if you'll be there for any length of time.
Nurseries use chemicals and fertilizers that may be present where your dog is walking - and are not good for his tummy when he licks those paws later.
Male dogs like to pee on plants. This will generally kill a plant in a pot and you will have to buy that plant. If this happens and you say nothing to the nursery, well, that says something not very nice about you.
Some nurseries don't allow dogs - possibly for the reason just above.
But there may be another reason. Case in point:
I once worked for a nursery that had a cat that liked to intimidate small dogs. We put a sign in the window "no dogs" and told people who came in ignoring the sign that Linus the cat may attack their dog and the only way to avoid this was to carry the dog.
Of course, here came the woman who felt entitled to do as she pleased. When Linus pounced on her dog, the little dog shrieked and the woman screamed her head off. We all ran to see what was going on, and there was Linus looking smug, a "see I told you so" look on his face. (The dog was fine by the way, and the woman - thankfully - never came back.)
Best advice? Call ahead and ask.
My latest ebooks are here!
"Best of the Grow-zines"
All the best info and ideas from past issues of our monthly newsletter - The Grow-zine!
Garden Ideas & FAQs
Landscaping Tips & Problem Solvers
Buy both "Best Of" ebooks & get this one FREE!
Thanks for subscribing to the Grow-zine!
If you have any
questions, comments or suggestions about what you'd like to see included
in the Grow-zine - or the Website - please let me know!
Happy Fourth of July!
Chase Landre
Take a break!
The ultimate guide to low-maintenance plants
and landscaping!
An ebook by
Chase Landre
author of
South-Florida-Plant-Guide.com
Learn more!
Ebook issues?
For a week or so last month, some visitors to this site trying to buy one of my ebooks experienced a problem at checkout with PayPal. The page would stall or throw them out.
PayPal was having some kind of programming glitch, but their developers have now fixed the problem.
If you encounter a checkout issue in the future, clear your browser cache and cookies, and that should load PayPal's updated checkout pages.
I apologize to those of you who were inconvenienced by this glitch! And if you ever have an issue, contact me.
Get a greener thumb!
Want to learn more about South Florida planting, watering, fertilizing and dealing with weeds and pests?
See our Gardening How-To section for answers!
Get instant curb appeal!
An ebook by
Chase Landre
author of
South-Florida-Plant-Guide.com
Learn how to get instant curb appeal with fast growing plants and landscaping techniques!
Take a crash course!
Ebooks on South Florida gardening!
by Chase Landre, author of South-Florida-Plant-Guide.com