Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Spray again. It’s important to follow up previous sprayings for pests such as rose slugs, a sawfly larva, with another about three to six weeks later. The second spraying will catch pests that have hatched since--sprays seldom kill eggs. The additional spraying is especially important when using organics, such as the oil sprays used on rose slugs, because these nonpoisonous materials have no residual action.

* Mow, mow, mow your lawn. Grass is really growing in this season, but every time you (or your gardener) mows and then takes away the trimmings, food is removed from the lawn’s table, so to speak. To compensate, fertilize.

That’s why experts now suggest leaving the clippings on the lawn for their fertilizer value. To do this, you need a special mulching mower that chops up grass clippings so they disappear between the blades. Not only will you not need to fertilize as often, but lawns will also need less mowing. High-nitrogen lawn fertilizers cause lawns to grow excessively; clippings don’t. It’s a win-win situation so consider a mulching mower or attachment, or ask the gardener if he has the proper gear.

* Go dogwood shopping. Along with lilacs and peonies, dogwoods are one of those East Coast plants some Californians crave. They are in bloom now, and it is just about the only time of year when you can spot dogwoods at nurseries. So if you’ve been looking for one, now is the time to ask nurseries if they have any. Some of the true East Coast kinds do poorly here, but a china-white variety named ‘Cloud Nine’ does just fine, as does the pink ‘Welchii Junior Miss’ and a few others. There is a native--Cornus nuttallii--but it seldom survives life in the garden.