Fresno Gardening Green

Soak in the peace and quiet as late summer is winding down and days should cool soon. Tasks Use old vegetable plants and summer annuals to start a compost pile. Add fall leaves as they drop from trees.

Is everyone ready for some fall and winter weather? This summer's heat has been horrendous. I know I went over how to care for your roses in hot weather last month, but I thought I would stress again how to care for your roses during this miserable summer.

Are you noticing an abundance of cobwebs outside, on plants, fences, homes, or outdoor furniture? While many people fear spiders or dislike their cobwebs, most spiders are beneficial to have around even in the home! Spiders are predators of many insect pests and rarely cause harm to people.

Take a stroll through your garden with a morning cup of coffee or tea. Collect ripened seeds of favorites and store for next year. Start planning for fall planting. Select plants that are resistant to common diseases and insect pests and choose an appropriate site for each one.

The damage to plants from extreme heat spikes this June and July is now obvious. Mature drought and heat-tolerant sycamores that did not receive regular deep irrigation have lost two-thirds of their leaf canopy.