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 July, we celebrate Independence Day!
Plants, such as annuals, are growing profusely and are in full bloom.
This is also the month when we can sit back and enjoy the maturity of our
plants and the fruits of our labor. But there is still much work to be
done to preserve this beauty. Diseases proliferate and pests abound.
Oh well, time to rollup our sleeves.
Annuals
Bulbs & Perennials
Lawns
Vegetables
Weeds
Pest Control
Indoor Gardening6
Shrubs and Trees
Planning
Annuals
 | Time to plant another round of zinnias, nasturtiums, and other annuals
for a great late summer and fall show. |
| Continue to deadhead annuals that have already bloomed. |
| Cutback Impatiens and other leggy annuals to encourage side growth and
more blooms, then fertilize them with ½ cup of
5-10-10 fertilizer per square yard of planted area and mulch. |
| Harvest leaves and cutback your herbs to encourage more growth. |
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Bulbs & Perennials
| Dig up and divide over-crowded irises and daylilies. |
| Pinch off spent blooms to keep flowers coming. |
| Stop pinching off mums now (mid-July) so they can develop flower buds
for the fall. |
| Cutback and fertilize delphinium and phlox to encourage a second show
of bloom. |
| Give your plants a good watering once or twice a week instead of
little and often. |
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Lawns
| Fertilize all warm weather grasses such as Bermuda, Zoysia and
Centipede. Cool season lawns, such as fescue, should NOT be
fertilized now. Wait until September to make that first application.
Your turf will thankyou. 1 inch of compost on top of your lawn is good for any
variety of grass at any time. |
| Watch for turf diseases such as brown patch, dollar spot and others.
Call the Extension Office for advice. |
| Apply water to the lawn and landscape when rainfall is less than 1
inch per week. The key here is to water deeply one time instead of
irrigating a little bit everyday. The best time to water is before
10:00 am. This allows any water clinging to the foliage to dry,
which in turn lessens the chance of fungal infection. |
| When mowing your turf, never remove more
than 1/3 of its blade growth at one time. |
Recommended mowing heights for turfgrasses:
| Turfgrasses |
Mowing Heights (inches) |
| Kentucky bluegrass |
11/2 to 21/2 |
| Tall fescue |
2 to 3 |
| Creeping red fescue |
2 to 3 |
| Perennial ryegrass |
11/2 to 21/2 |
| Bermuda grass |
1/2 to 1 |
| Zoysia grass |
3/4 to 1 |
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Vegetables
| Cut back mint, thyme and lemon balm to prevent a
raggedy appearance. |
| Harvest frequently and correctly.
Vegetables left too long on the plant lose taste and quality. |
| Fertilize fruits and veggies as needed with a
good quality, slow-release food. A shallow top-dressing of compost is
always good. |
| Start seeds for fall vegetables such as
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and others this month. |
| Keeping weeds under control is crucial in order
to provide soil nutrients only to vegetables. |
| A good morning watering deeply once or twice a week is
necessary during dry spells. |
| A layer of diatomaceous earth will help control
cut worms, slugs and other soft bodied insects. |
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Weeds
| Continue to stay on top of weed control. hand removal of weeds
is friendlier to the environment than herbicide use. If you use sprays, be sure to choose a warm day, above 85°, without wind. |
| If weeds contain seed heads, then do not add them to your compost
pile. Some compost piles do not reach temperatures high enough to
kill the seeds. |
| When using chemical weed control, always read and follow label directions. |
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Pest Control (Same as June)
| Continue to reduce the slug population by setting out stale beer in shallow
saucers, or remove them by hand. A strong blast of water from the
garden hose or insecticidal soap can control aphids and other insects that
are plaguing the landscape. |
| You may also use the soap on plant bugs that are pestering your
shrubs, perennials or fruit trees. |
| Practice integrated pest management (IPM). Try to provide pesticides least
toxic to fish and wildlife. For more information, you may click
here. |
| Use insecticidal sprays that break down readily. |
| Try to provide an environment that is beneficial to predatory insects,
such as lady bugs, by planting a patch mixture of crimson clover and hairy
vetch. |
| To control the larval stage of the Japanese Beetle, apply Bt or milky
spore to your lawn. For control of the adult beetles, place beetle
traps at least 25 feet away from the plants you wish to protect them from. |
| Protect honeybees from potential harm from pesticides by applying
those sprays in the evening after the bees have returned to their hives.
The risk of "drift" occurring is also reduced at this time of day.
Always wear protective clothing and read and follow label instructions
when using pesticides. |
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Indoor Gardening
| Keep a watchful eye on the individual light needs of your plants.
Group plants that have similar requirements together. Protect them from
harsh, direct sunlight that can burn foliage. |
| Going on vacation? Create a temporary greenhouse. Here's how: Soak house plants thoroughly and allow to drain.
Place them in a plastic bag and tightly tie the opening. Sticks in the
soil will keep the bag away from the foliage. Plants such as African
violets should have small holes in the bag for air circulation. |
| Watch for problems with house plants placed outside for evidence of
diseases, wind damage and pests. |
| Make sure you feed your plants now that they are in their growing season. |
| Water tropical plants with room temperature water. |
| Root cuttings can be made now from coleus, fuchsia, geranium, poinsettia,
and other succulent plants. |
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Shrubs and Trees
| Watch for the presence of scale, spider mites, lacebugs, and leafhoppers,
which are common this month. |
| Roses: Remove spent blooms and damaged leaves. To prevent the
spread of fungus, water plants carefully at their base and mulch. Black
leaf spot may require the use of a fungicide at regular intervals. |
| Do not prune azaleas and rhododendrons after the second week of July or
you will be removing the buds for next year's blooms. |
| Water trees and shrubs thoroughly at the drip lines. |
| Hand pick bagworms from evergreens or contact our office for additional
recommendations of control. |
| Prune out damaged or dead branches on shade trees. |
| Watch for any unusual growth or diseases on trees and contact your
extension agent. |
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Planning
| Continue to keep a diary of everything you have planted, especially
since there is new growth. |
| Watch for areas of your gardens that are not doing well, analyze them,
and plan for changes. |
| Continue to keep a watch on that new planting area you will use for
next year. Layer composting materials over the area to add nutrients
to the soil. Try not to allow weeds to grow. |
| Note where shadows fall so that you can later move sun-loving plants. |
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"Gardening
is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it."