Fertilize citrus this month by spreading one cup of ammonium sulfate per inch of trunk diameter around the base of trees and water it in thoroughly. Soak mature trees well every second or third week, putting a sprinkler over the root zone for two to three hours (more for sandy soil and less for heavy soil). Young trees should be soaked one to two hours every week or so.
Time to tackle the grape skeletonizer, a caterpillar which literally strips the leaves bare, by spraying with Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel) - paying careful attention to the undersides of the leaves. Check for new damage in 10 days and respray if necessary. If you don't want to spray, shake the branches early in the morning when it's cool and the caterpillars will fall to the ground. It may be possible to identify and destroy the little moth that lays the eggs before the eggs are laid - these are smaller than a pinhead - or rub out the eggs using finger and thumb. If you don't get them before they hatch out, remove the whole leaf before the pale caterpillars start spreading. Thin grapes to no more than two clusters on each sturdy shoot, one cluster on less sturdy ones, when the berries are about the size of match heads.
Container plants, except for the most sun-loving, need a little afternoon shade and attention to watering. I like to group mine in dappled shade for the summer for ease of watering. It's important to remember that a plant that does well in full sun elsewhere sometimes can't take our searing sun in summer.
Prevent powdery mildew on roses and other plants with a mixture of two teaspoons of baking soda and two teaspoons of lightweight horticultural spray oil (such as Sunspray) with one gallon of water. Apply a fine spray of the solution weekly to prevent mildew and other fungus. Reapply the spray on new growth after testing the spray on a single leaf to check for leaf burn. It is thought to work by changing the pH of the leaf surface. Fertilize roses as the bloom tapers off. Spread mulch around them and water deeply. Like most things in the low desert, afternoon shade is desirable, though I have some that get full sun almost all day. There are quite a few that love our heat. Your nursery can help you select some.
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