Pests: Insects are at their peak of activity now. Weekly garden walks will alert you to potential problems. Pests to watch for include Sri Lankan weevil, mealy bug, scale, whitefly, thrips, aphids, mites, caterpillars, beetles, chinch bugs and sod webworms.

Pruning: Check all trees and shrubs for dead wood, crossrubbing branches, stubs and narrow V crotches that are subject to splitting. It is important to use certified arborists for this work, as weekend warriors can easily damage plantings with too much hacking. Remove no more than a quarter of a tree or shrub's green volume to avoid shocking the plant.

Irrigation: It may seem strange to be talking about watering during this wet season, but new growth can block sprinkler heads from providing good coverage. July sometimes has a minidrought, and good irrigation coverage is important.

Green thought: Mosquitoes have been bad this year with all the rain we had in May and June. I tried the BugBand insect repellent with good success while walking the dog and doing light gardening. The geranium-based organic product has been tested by the University of Florida for 17 years. It is available as towelettes, wrist bands and pump spray. BugBand can be ordered at BugBand.net.

Annuals: Consider using the ''Cora'' periwinkle as a perennial that will live about two years. The plants have grown very well for me and should grow to about 1 or 1 ½ feet in height and spread. The plant can be cut back in September for rejuvenation and should be back in bloom by mid- to late-October. Keep mulch one to two inches away from plant stems.

-- ROBERT HAEHLE,

Sun Sentinel

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