As you plan to work in your yards this month, keep in mind the following suggestions from the Landscape and Facilities Management Committee:

•    The first week of June - set your lawn mower as high as it will go and keep it there all summer.  This will choke out weeds without using chemicals and will minimize the amount of water your lawn will need.  If weeds are present then bag and throw out the clippings.  If no weeds, you should set your mower to mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.
•    The second week of June - examine your azaleas, rhododendron, pieris japonica, and laurel for lace bugs.  Spray only if present.  Spray late in the day when temperatures moderate and no rain is in the forecast.
•    The third week of June - use chelated iron to keep azaleas, hollies, junipers, laurel, pines, rhododendron, and spruce green and healthy during the hot summer.  Look for scale nymphs on euonymus, privet and, if present, spray before they develop protective shells.  Look for pine-needle scale on fir, hemlock, pine and spruce – this is what causes them to turn yellow.
•    The fourth week of June - prune rhododendron "candelabras" just above the new growth.  If you did not apply Hollytone in May, put it on rhododendrons and other acid loving shrubs.  Tropical weather will bring spider mites out.  Check for damage on arborvitae, hemlock, juniper, pine, and spruce.  Two-spotted spider mites will attack hawthorn, hemlock, juniper, walnut, clematis, forsythia, ivy, pachysandra, and roses.  If present, use a systemic spray to control.

Lastly, water the lawn between 6 AM and 10 AM, do NOT overwater (will help to control fungus in the lawn), and mow as late in the day as possible so the grass has a chance to heal overnight without being stressed by direct sun and high temps.

2009 Landscaping Projects for Montclair

Montclair has established a fund for the establishment of new landscaping (and renewal of the old).  Thank you for voting this in as part of the 2009 budget!  The Landscape and Facilities Management Committee will make information available to you as the plans progress.  Check out our project page for the latest on these projects:  https://lfmc.backpackit.com/pages/1295215