by Ron Kujawski

*Control weeds not only in the garden but also around it. Often weeds harbor many of the insects that ravage our vegetable plantings.

* Repot houseplants now if you did not do so in spring. House plants should be repotted in fresh soil every few years even if they have not outgrown their containers.  

* Prune back the leggy stems of old-fashioned petunias by about one-third their length, and feed the plants with a water-soluble fertilizer. The plants will branch out and bloom again in less than three weeks. Next year, consider some varieties of petunia that are heat tolerant, compact and self-cleaning (I had an uncle like that).

* Prune out the browned tips of junipers. Tip blight disease is common to many types of junipers and the best management strategy is to prune out the infected tips during dry weather. You may have to wait a bit considering the recent heavy showers, but once the plants are dry, hop to it. Sterilize your pruning shears between cuts by dipping them is a solution of seven parts rubbing alcohol and three parts water.

* Examine the underside of leaves of Japanese andromeda for tar-like droppings. This is a sign of lacebug infestation. Lacebugs suck sap from the leaves, causing serious injury to these plants. Andromedas in sunny locations are most susceptible to this pest, so plan to relocate plants to a shady area in early September. Lacebugs can be controlled with summer oil or insecticidal soap.

* Selectively prune overgrown or stray branches of shrubs by cutting back to a side branch, to a main stem or down to the crown. Don't shear or just cut off the tips of branches since this will only induce lots of new growth, which will soon need to be pruned again.  

* Harvest some new potatoes by carefully scratching away at the soil until you feel the potatoes, then pull them out. Replace the soil to keep the remaining potatoes covered while they continue to develop. New potatoes don't keep well, so harvest them as you need them.

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Have you noticed your hand sticking to the door handle as you try to get into your car? Or, perhaps you've suddenly walked out of your shoes while strolling down the sidewalk. Well, the sticky stuff that seems to be everywhere this time of year is actually honeydew, a secretion from tiny insects called aphids. Either that or someone is fooling with the super glue again. Aphids suck sap from leaves of many plants but seem to be especially fond of maple trees. As they suck sap they simultaneously secrete concentrated honeydew out their other end. Ordinarily I'd suggest leaving the critters alone since damage to the trees is not serious. However, in years of heavy infestation aphids can create quite a mess and place trees under considerable stress. If you conclude control is necessary, contact a certified arborist to do the job. 

Ron Kujawski began gardening at an early age on his family's onion farm in upstate New York. Although now retired, he spent most of his career teaching at the UMass Extension Service. He serves on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Advisory Committee. His book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, is available here.