As we get into hotter weather, monitor the water needs of your plants, especially new plantings. Do not be fooled by the dry appearance of the bark mulch on the surface; push it aside and check the soil moisture beneath. If dry and crumbly, water; otherwise forego watering. As a genteral rule of thumb, most plants only require 1" of water per week with average temperatures.  Usage must be adjusted with the variations in our Northwest weather--more in hotter times, less in moist.  Most established woody plants do not require supplemental watering; however, some more moisture loving plants such as birch, rhododendrons, azaleas, cranberry bush viburnums do not like extended dry periods.

Hedges, deciduous and evergreen, should be sheared in June, as new growth is almost hardened off.
Back 2 Green offers a wide variety of pruning services for young to intermediate trees, shrubs and evergreens.

Check your plants now for aphids - examine the underside of leaves as well as the stems. If found, simply using a strong jet of water will remove them and they rarely find their way back before being eaten by the insects on the ground. Ants are also a telltale evidence of aphids. The ants do not harm the plants, but literally harvest the sweet honeydew, that aphids excrete.

Inspect crown borer beetles on your rose plants. Signs of damage include: slowness or failure to leaf out, dead stems/branches, or the onset of early fall color with dropped leaves. Larva bore into the crown of the newly cut stems or stalks at or near the soil line. You can often see bark and wood tissue removed in a collar-like fashion around the base of the stem or the entire crown. This borer typically affects stressed plants during periods of drought; supplemental watering is the easiest preventative approach. Contact us if you have questions concerning these topics.

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