Weekly Gardening Tips - July 25, 2009
Mitzi Davis
Colorado State University Extension Master Gardener in Larimer County
- Remove faded rose blossoms by cutting back the stem to a leaf that has five leaflets. After the roses finish blooming, fertilize them one last time—you’ll want them to start hardening off in anticipation of the first frost.
- Western yellowjackets are social wasps that can be beneficial because they eat a lot of plant-feeding insects and flies. They commonly build nests in rodent burrows, and unlike the open nests of paper wasps, yellow jackets enclose their nests in a paper envelope with a single entrance hole. Wasps become very defensive if you disturb their nests and their stingers have no barbs like bees, so you can be stung repeatedly. Professional help is advised if the nest must be removed. However, if it’s out of the way and you can wait a few months, freezing temperatures will kill off the colonies (except for overwintering queens) and the nest will not be reused.
- Check the labels of any pesticides that you may be using on your vegetables or fruits. Many have a waiting period of several days or longer between the last spray and harvest. Wash all produce thoroughly before eating.
For more information, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.
