This is the time of year when warm-season lawns, such as Bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine are looking their best, but cool-season lawns such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue are looking their worst. Water warm-season lawns deeply and infrequently, feed them every month to six weeks, and mow them as short as possible.

Feed dichondra half-strength. Continue to water cool-season lawns regularly, cut them high, and feed them lightly, if at all.

Control crabgrass when it turns red. Now, in August, you have another chance to control crabgrass - this time when it goes red in color but before it sets seed. Ask for products containing MSMA, such as MSMA Crabgrass Killer. Be sure to follow the directions on the package and not to use these products in the middle of a hot day. Water deeply the day before use, and then avoid watering again as long as possible. For best results pull out the clumps after they die. (Another possible control is to spot-treat with glyphosate, but it will kill anything it touches.)

Control pests and diseases on cool-season lawns. Dead or brown patches often disfigure cool-season lawns now even if you water and feed lightly. Take hold of a tuft of grass in one of the bad patches and yank up on it. If the patch is circular and grass blades pull off at the roots but the roots stay in the ground, the problem may be brown-patch fungus. Some other fungus diseases cause variously shaped brown patches; with these the grass sticks tight when you pull on it. In some cases there's a dark green or grayish green line or circle around the damaged patch.

Treat affected grass with fungicide. We recommend you use Green Light Fung-Away. Always read the entire label and follow all directions and precautions carefully. Unless you use a product that already contains fertilizer, be sure to follow up treatment with a light application of fertilizer. Water early in the morning, not late in the day. Aerate the ground to improve water penetration.

If you've noticed large numbers of moths fluttering in a zigzag pattern over the lawn in the evening and the grass blades are chewed off at ground level, look among the roots for silky white tubes with brown or gray black-spotted grubs in them. These are signs of sod webworm. For this, treat the lawn with a spray or granular product recommended for controlling webworms.

If the grass is loose and comes up like a mat, roots and all, the problem is white grubs. Roll the turf back and look for curled white grubs living under the turf and eating the roots. (In the Southern California area, these are not grubs of the Japanese beetle, as is the case in the East and Midwest, but they are the grubs of several other beetles.) Treat with a product recommended for the control of white grubs, such as Delta Eight. If you don’t want to use chemicals, try Beneficial nematodes. Grubs are easiest to kill when young, but you may have to treat more than once.

By Tamara Galbraith

As fall brings the fading of several nectar-producing flowers, it's time to haul out the sugar bag and make the hummingbirds happy. They need lots of energy for their migrations south, so do your part in being a responsible hummingbird fan.

The tried-and-true formula for making hummingbird nectar is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Use regular water and plain old white granulated sugar. DO NOT use artificial colors, such as red dye or other additives, and NEVER use honey or artificial sweeteners, as this could kill the birds.

The ingredients can be mixed using cold water (shake vigorously to dissolve the sugar); however, the nectar will keep longer if brought to a boil, then cooled. Do not let the mixture continue to boil, as it will turn syrupy.

Your hummingbird feeder should be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and mild soap, then rinsed and dried each time you change the nectar. Do not "top off" old sugar water. In hot weather, you should change the nectar twice a week. At the first sign of cloudy water or mold, clean and refill the feeder. Don't make more than the hummingbirds are eating in three days, it'll be a waste.

If you find your feeder is also providing a snack for ants, coat the hanger with a spray of cooking oil. (Many new feeders come with ant guards already built in.) Likewise, if wasps and bees are a problem, a second feeder with a higher concentration of sugar to water will give them their own eating station so the hummingbirds can drink in peace.

And, if you want to plant some hummingbird-attracting plants for next year, here's a brief list of their absolute favorites: salvia, hyssop, bee balm, honeysuckle, crossvine, turk's cap, morning glory, hibiscus, rose of sharon and scarlet creeper.

By Tamara Galbraith

Much of the country has seen record drought this summer. Watering restrictions have been in place for months in several regions.

Meanwhile, the spider mite party never ends.

Thriving in the hot, dry dregs of summer, a spider mite infestation may not be apparent on your plants until it's too late, since the little beasts generally live on the underside of leaves. If your plant's leaves turn yellow, then crumple and fall off, you could have a mite problem. Look for tiny red dots on the leaves' undersides. Spider mites also weave telltale webs at the stem crotches of plants.

An easy way to spot these webs is by spraying your plants with water in the early morning. The muted sunlight helps to highlight the webs. If you spot webs, turn the nozzle of your sprayer on "jet" if you've got such a setting and give your affected plants a good hard blast. The mites' party will be all wet.

To keep spider mites at bay, make sure your plants are getting all they need, as mites tend to attack plants in stress. In the heat of summer, make sure you are watering infrequently but deeply, mulching bare soil and not over-fertilizing.

A good miticide, like Master Nursery Pest Fighter-Year Round Oil Spray, will also send the spider mite party packing.

By Tamara Galbraith

For gardeners in mild climates, early September means it's time for seed-starting of fall veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce. The question is: are those seeds from last year -- or even two or three years ago -- still any good?

The answer is: maybe.

One way to tell if your seeds are still viable is by performing a germination test. All you need are some paper towels and plastic sandwich bags.

Moisten a towel and arrange your seeds on it, spaced well apart. Big seeds like peas, beans, and corn should have a second moist towel put on the top. Fold or roll the paper towel(s), slip inside the baggie, seal, and put in a continually warm, but not hot, location.

Once a couple of days have passed, check the paper towels to see if the seeds have started to germinate. Re-moisten the towels if necessary by sprinkling a few drops of water carefully over them. Most seeds will germinate within 3-5 days at room temperature.

Generally, vegetable seeds will keep for at least three years if they've been stored in a cool, dry place, such as air-tight jars in the fridge. Some seeds that don't store well include sweet corn, parsnips, Swiss chard, spinach, and alliums (onions, leeks, scallions, chives).

If you find that 50% or more of your seeds aren't germinating, don't take it personally, Throw them away and head down to the nursery for a new batch. Considering the joy a packet of seeds can bring, it's a very small price to pay.