Master gardeners receive honors

Master gardeners were honored recently for their 2006 service. These gardeners are a very dedicated group trained by Nevada Cooperative Extension. They have gone way beyond the original agreement of 50 hours of service in return for 50 hours of classroom training. As a result, the Extension honored the following for their service over the past year:

Mel Hengen received the Silver Trowel award for contributing the most hours on the most variety of projects. He is a repeat winner, having won in 2004. Cliff Wood won the Silver Phone award for contributing the most hours answering garden questions.

Andy Anderson, Liz Hartley, Clara Hatz, P.J. Mau, Mary Riderand Jim Stubbs were honored by their peers with the Exceptional Service Awards. Lee Heenan, Nancy McNeish, John Singer and Carol Wong received their 10-year service pins.

In 2006, master gardeners contributed 17,607 volunteer hours. Since the inception of the program in 1992, they have donated 145,088 hours, valued at $2.7 million. There are more than 250 certified master gardeners in Clark County. You'll find them at plant clinics, community projects and the gardening help line, 257-5555.

If you have a gardening question, call one of these master gardeners at 257-555, where they will assist you. They are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

July gardening: To put more joy into gardening this month, do your work in the early morning or late evening, when temperatures are more bearable. Yes, I know it is hot, but at least take a walk through your garden and record your thoughts in your garden journal. You'll begin to see trends and problems you may avoid next year. Retired golf course superintendant Hilling Hansen did this and he was always on top of the problem the next year.

Here are ideas of things that need to be done this hot month.

Roses: Heat accelerates the growth process, so expect small roses. Continue to feed them, but reduce the fertilizer by half. If your roses have yellow leaves, add iron chelates.

Houseplants: If you are going on vacation, cluster your plants and loosely cover them with a clear plastic bag to reduce water evaporation. Keep them out of direct sunlight; otherwise, plastic will trap heat inside and fry them. If you find insects around, wash them off often.

More mums this fall: Continue pinching (stops terminal growth) mums monthly to encourage more side shoots. Pinching results in a bigger plant and a greater display of flowers this fall. Tease them along with a light application of fertilizer and you'll end up with even more color.

Annuals: By now, many annuals look like Custard's last stand. Revitalize them by snipping stems back to vigorous side shoots and apply a light application of fertilizer to boost them along. It's not too late to plant zinnias, periwinkles, marigolds, verbena, cockscombs, cosmos, gloriosa daisies and sunflowers to spruce up your yard.

Cactuses and succulents: Study these desert lovers and they will tell you when to water. When you see shrunken pads or narrow spaces between ribs, they are crying for a drink. Dave Turner removes the guesswork by following the SNWA watering guide and has no problems. Expect to see cochineal scale, so direct a strong force of water on pads to wash them off.

Vegetables: Harvesting melons is one of the great joys of gardening, but don't hurry into picking them. The longer melons stay on vine, the sweeter they'll be. Pluck cantaloupes when the outside netting -- skin -- turns golden or when the fruit separates freely from stem. Harvest summer squash four or five days after flowers fade or they get old fast. Pick eggplants before they lose their shine, regardless of size. There's still time to plant watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, sweet corn and even tomatoes.

Don't trash watermelon rinds: Add kitchen and garden scraps to the compost pile rather than sending to the dump. Sporadically sprinkle soil, fertilizer and moisture to feed microorganisms so they will work harder. Turn pile often for quicker composting and end up with humus.

Squash bugs: These bugs vary from light gray to brown and black, but all have the classic shield on their backs. They'll ruin a crop of cucumbers, squash and cantaloupes quickly. If you find only a few bugs, handpick them and put in hot water. They hide under leaves and lay eggs in clusters, so rub them off.

Leaf scorch: If leaves scorch along the edges, it's most likely water stress. This is especially true with new trees and shrubs; they do not have sufficient roots to meet plant demands. Poke holes through root balls to enhance the soaking of root zone. Here's an additional tip: If foliage feels hot, it indicates a need for water as it cools them.

Grooming: Tired of ducking under drooping tree limbs? Remove them. Cut back scraggly growth on shrubs. Avoid shearing hedges, but if you do keep the shrub bottoms wider than tops so lower branches receive light for a fuller hedge. Remove all suckers growing from below the graft union on roses and fruit trees or you will lose your prize plants.

Dropping leaves: Any large-leafed tree sheds leaves during the heat. Leaves can't get water fast enough, so they shed. Nature protects the trees against the ravages of summer by allowing them to drop some of that responsibility. Additional water may help, but still some will shed.

Unnoticed bugs: The leaf-footed plant bug is easy to identify once you get a glimpse of its flattened hind legs. It goes unnoticed, damaging pecans, pomegranates and other fruit by sucking their juices as well as introducing bacteria to cause spoilage. If seen, spray with insecticidal soap and eliminate any rotting fruit as rot attracts other insects.

Turf: Your turf is in summer dormancy, so don't feed it until Labor Day. If your lawn is lackluster, add iron. Aeration will improve your lawn by opening up passageways for water penetration to the roots. And there is still time to plant a Bermuda lawn.

Irises: If you haven't divided your irises for years, do it now. The experts divide theirs every year. Cut the leaf blades back to 6 to 8 inches. Then carefully dig up the iris clumps. Cut off and discard any damaged, soft or leafless rhizomes. Dust the healthy plants with sulfur to prevent rot, and store in a cool, dry place until planting in September.

IRIS SALE

The Southern Nevada Iris Society welcomes you to its annual iris sale. Each year, this society makes available many new and exciting cultivars, including rare and unique colors. During the sale, society members will give growing and hybridizing tips to all who are interested. This year's sale takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Star Nursery, 8725 S. Eastern Ave., and on July 14 and 15 at the nursery's 7330 West Cheyenne Road location. Call 565-6284 if you have questions.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Thursday. You can reach him at lmills@reviewjournal.com or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve, 822-8325.