Gardening In The Heat & Sun
As the heat & drought persist, your enthusiasm for gardening may waiver. Even if gardening is not high on your list of things to do, there are still things for you to take care of this month. Keeping your lawn, flowers, shrubs & trees alive and healthy is a high priority.
- Water: water all planted areas deeply but infrequently during dry periods. Outdoor container plants will need to be watered daily.
- Soil: Mulch all bare soil. Turn compost pile and add new ingredients. Clean up spring vegetable gardens and replenish with compost.
- Fertilize: give annuals a complete fertilizer. Water well before & after application. Deadhead and fertilize roses. Fertilizer young fruit trees (except pears) with a 3-1-2 ratio product at 1-2 cups per inch of trunk diameter.
- Lawn Care: Mow every 5-7 days and leave the clippings on the lawn. The clippings will decompose and naturally provide nutrients to keep your lawn healthy. Set your mower higher, follow proper watering procedures, avoid broadleaf weed killers, fertilize sparingly & leave your clippings.
- Prune: Prune dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs as needed.
Prepare Your Fall Garden
Plant fall gardens and prepare beds by removing perennial weeds before tilling, and compost and fertilize. Planting a garden is hard work. This is a great time to get the whole family involved. This is a great way to keep the kids busy & they’ll love helping you pick out plants.
Things To Plant In July:
- Flowers: Alpine Aster, Blue Daze, Silver Dollar Plant, Periwinkle, Mexican Bush Sage
- Flower Seeds: Impatiens, Marigold, Morning Glory, Zinnia
- Vegetables: Pumpkin Seeds, Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Eggplant, Peppers