The SkeeterBytes     Garden Page Caution: This page is based purely on speculation and there is nothing scientific about it. But it has worked for me. No promises though.

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Lawn Tips for Summer: Loosen soil and aerate lawns. Compacted soil will resist water penetration and allow water to run off. Where possible lightly cultivate around plants but not too deep. Lawns should be aerated (which is the removing of cores of soil) by machine. Rent the machine or hire a company to do the job. You can either rake up the cores and add them to your compost pile, or you can leave them and they will breakdown into your lawn through the mowing process.</li> Watering Tips: Lawns should be watered less often but deeply. To be sure you are applying water evenly, set out tuna or pet food containers about every ten feet from the edge to edge and see how long it takes to fill them and how evenly they fill. Lawns dry faster on slopes and next to paved areas where supplemental irrigation can be useful. Set your mower higher during hot weather. The longer blades help the lawn tolerate the stress of heat. Finally try not to cut off more than 1/3 of the height of the grass each time. For container plants, use an irrigation kit to allow the water to be applied slow and deep. They are very easy to install. Be sure to inspect valves and faucets for drips, which can not only waste water, but can be harmful to plants too by making the soil too wet. What Need More Tomatoes? After they reach a fruiting size and start flowering, avoid watering the leaves and let them dry between watering. In fact, if you have large healthy looking tomato plants with little or no fruit, you <i>probably are taking too much care of them. Tomatoes produce much better when they are stressed.