Fertilize tropical and subtropical plants, according to their individual needs, during summer while they are growing. Continue to plant them except in interior valleys, where scorching days may burn their foliage if they are planted this late in the season. Tropicals and subtropicals give us our distinctively Southern California atmosphere, and not all are great water users - some are drought resistant.

Among the numerous tropical and subtropical plants that can deal with being planted in summer (in all but the hottest interior zones) are bougainvillea, hibiscus, gardenia, palms, plumeria, and many flowering trees.

Other choices to plant now include tropical fruit trees such as avocado, banana, citrus and pineapple guava. In most areas, other than the warmest interior valleys, the early summer weather stimulates growth but isn't yet hot enough to dry them out. Keep them well watered until they become established.

Most gardeners have stocked up their garages with all sorts of products to save their plants from natural enemies like hungry insects and overpowering weeds. What many gardeners don't know is this: even more important than defending against enemies is to see that plants get what they need for photosynthesis, especially water. Watering is an art, because under-watering causes water deficiency and over-watering can cause roots to rot.

These problems are easily kept in check with only a few simple steps:

Follow Mother Nature's lead — if you have a desert plant, the soil it lives in may not need watering for days at a time. If the plant is in a fairly moist climate in the wilderness, it will need to be watered more frequently. Avoid being too generous, because the leading cause of plant death is not insects or diseases but simple over-watering.

Get your hands dirty — test the soil with your finger, starting at the top for a moist-climate plant and pushing further in for a plant from a more arid climate. It is recommended to feel most plants about an inch below the surface of the soil. If the soil is moist to the touch but does not wet your finger, the water amount is correct.

Get a can that works — watering cans are especially vital in the care of indoor plants. The best watering can to use is one with a long neck. This is especially important if you have a plant that generates a lot of foliage. The best water to use is tepid water — not too warm or too cool.

Use good soil — sandy soil will let the water rush away, while clay-burdened soil will hold water too long, causing root rot.

Keep your weeds in check — frequent weeding will reduce competition among plants for the moisture in the soil.

Ready your plants for the daytime — water in the morning, to fortify your plants against the hot sun. Using mulch is another good defense. Mulch will keep the soil from taking too much sun and evaporating all the water, as well as helping to keep weeds down.

Water Wand — we recommend using a water wand, especially for hanging baskets & pots. It gives a gentle stream of water, so you are able to deep water in less time.

By Tamara Galbraith

Plants and their habits can be cruel sometimes. How else can you explain the reason for basil being an annual instead of a perennial? One of the most beautiful, fragrant and delicious herbs known to man, 'Ocimum basilicum' is very sensitive to cold. That we are denied its wonderful qualities year-round is just torturous.

Give it heat, sun and well-draining soil, though, and it'll do wonderful things for you. Like most herbs, little fertilization is required.

Choose from several varieties ranging in leaf color and flavor, but keep the flowers pinched off to maintain a nice plant shape and to prevent the stems from getting woody. (Some of the purple varieties do have pretty pink flowers, however.) Basil makes a good companion plant for tomatoes and peppers.

Use basil leaves, either fresh or dried, in soups, sauces, tomato dishes or with nearly any kind of meat. Basil can also be kept frozen with olive oil in ice cubes. Simply drop the frozen cube into whatever you're cooking and presto, you've got pesto! If you have any left over from cooking, dried basil is also great in a potpourri or sachet.

By Tamara Galbraith

Now that the growing season has begun throughout the country, it's time to shift into maintenance mode. Did you know that sidedressing is one of the best ways to feed your plants once they're in the ground and growing? Here's the how, why, what and when of this method.

Basically, sidedressing refers to the simple step of periodically adding fertilizer to the soil next to each of your plants, and then watering it in. It is a nice way of giving your plants occasional boosts before they flower or put out fruit. Compost is the ideal material to use for sidedressing.

To sidedress, dig a trench around the plant about one inch deep and three to four inches away from the stem. Put a handful of manure or compost or two to three tablespoons of a balanced fertilizer (preferably one a little lower in nitrogen) in a band in the trench. Be careful not to sprinkle any fertilizer on the plants as it can burn them. Finish up by watering the soil, thus sending the fertilizer down to the roots.

Most vegetables grown during the summer are big eaters. Squash, peppers and eggplants especially all love hearty doses of well-rotted manure or compost. The blossoms of these plants eventually become fruit, so it's important to sidedress both at flowering time, and again just as the little fruits are forming on the plant.

Many flowers that rank as heavy feeders and benefit from frequent sidedressing include roses, dahlias, peonies, and most annuals and tropicals.