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Pre-vacation gardening tipsBy Tara McKnight Texas AgriLife Extension Service, horticulture, Wichita County With school ending and summer beginning, vacation season is upon us. Don't forget some last minute items that should be taken care of around the house before you pack your bags for the long awaited summer vacation. A little preparation before you leave will save you time in the yard when you get back. First, let's talk about water. Give your landscape and garden a good drink before you leave. This will help in getting it through the hot summer that we deal with. If you are going to be gone for a week or more, ask a neighbor or friend to go over and water for you. If you know that your plants use a lot of water, have your friend come over a little more often. Also, you will need to mow your lawn a day or two before you leave. Do not lower your mower blade to cut the grass shorter or scalp your lawn. This can cause more stress than anything else in the summer. By cutting your lawn you are saving yourself work when you get home. No one likes to mow a tall overgrown lawn. Once again that friend of yours comes in handy if you will be gone more than a week. You may need to get them to mow your lawn for you to keep it healthy and looking great. You should also trim any plants that might get overgrown in your absence. This will reduce a buildup of growth that you would have to deal with upon your return. Another important task to do before you leave is to mulch, if you have not already done so. It will help conserve the water in the soil and will reduce the amount of watering that you will have to do. Mulching can also reduce the chance of weeds getting into your flower beds. Don't forget to check for insects and diseases before you hit the road. If you see any problems starting, handle these now. A week left alone and an insect or disease can have their way with your plant. Even though you are on vacation, insects and diseases are not. Now let's talk about that wonderful vegetable garden of yours. If you have vegetables that will need to be harvested between when you leave and when you return, have your friend pick them. I am sure your friend would enjoy fresh vegetables for all the hard work they are putting into your landscape. If you get the paper you might have that someone pick it up for you as well. A stack of papers on your porch is a great sign that you are not home. Even if you do not need a friend to do any of these tasks for you, you might ask them to just come over and make sure everything is okay at your home. One more thing to consider before you leave is getting any maintenance done on your lawn equipment while you are gone. This is a great time to do just that so it will be ready by the time you get home. This is unless that friend is going to be mowing for you. I hope that you enjoy your vacation. Take some pictures and visit the local gardens wherever you go. Other gardens are a wonderful place to get ideas on what you would like to see at your home. Your garden and landscape questions are always welcome. You may either contact me at our County Extension office, 716-8610, or by e-mail, tcmcknight@ag.tamu.edu. You are always encouraged to visit the Wichita County Master Gardner website at www.overthegardengate.org. Another great website to visit for very useful garden hints and answers is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/. This article, along with every article, will also be featured on www.joetomwhite.com 24 hours a day under county agents. 6/9/08 Date: 6/2/08 Advertisement
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