The following "reminder list" is based on a Zone 6a growing region, which is centrally located for the North American growing areas. For areas north of Zone 6a add roughly one week per zone for any times given. For areas south, subtract roughly one week per zone. Don't know your hardiness zone? Find it quick on our "Plant Hardiness Zone Map". July comes in starting the hot, dry time of summer. It is a time when gardeners start seeking the solace of a cool, shady location to wile away a lazy summer afternoon. The biggest challenges facing gardeners this month are keeping up with the harvest and keeping ample water on everything while staying cool themselves. But don't relax to much. After the Independence Day celebrations with the wonderful outdoor entertaining are over, there are still many chores that need to be done. Many fall crops are started this month and with a decline in garden chores, this is a good month to get some of those outdoor projects done. Around The Garden The fall bulb catalogs arrive this month. Place your orders early for best selection and to be sure you can get the bulbs you really want. Don't worry about it being to early to plant right now. All reputable bulb dealers will either hold your order until proper time to plant before shipping, or at least give you the option. July is a good month to plant another planting of corn, beans, etc. for a late summer harvest. But you must mulch and water faithfully. While it can be tricky if the weather is extremely hot, plant a second crop of tomatoes, peppers, etc. to replace the first crop when it starts playing out and the fruits start to diminish in size and quantity. Mulch heavily and keep watered. Use a blossom setting hormone spray to get fruiting started. Sow seeds of broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower the end of this month for fall garden. Sow seeds of spinach, carrots, collards, kale, sweet corn, summer squash, lettuce, beets, turnips, winter radish, cilantro and dill. Continue hilling up soil around potato stems as they grow, leaving only the tops exposed. Keep soil hilled up around onions and garlic to prevent sunburn. Keep the seed stalks cut off of onions and garlic. Harvest onions and garlic when the tops turn brown. Store in a warm, dry location out of the sun for a week or ten days to cure before storing. Continue to harvest herbs for drying this month, especially high oil herbs such as mint, thyme and sage. Hang these in a warm, dry place out of the sun until thoroughly dry. Weather will determine the amount of water to apply. Provide at least one inch of water at a time or deep soak and then allow the soil to dry an inch or two down before applying more. Deep soaking and allowing the soil to dry will drive plant roots deep, allowing them to better withstand summer's dry conditions. Light watering wastes water, causes the plants roots to stay shallow and increases stress on your plants. Water early in the day to allow the plants time to dry before night. Continue to deadhead flowering plants for continued blooming. As annuals die, pull them out and add them to your compost pile. Replant new annuals or hardy perennials in their place to fill in bare spots. As annuals start to fade, cut them back by half and fertilize them with a 5-10-10 or organic fertilizer to get a second flush of blooms. Discontinue pinching Chrysanthemums by the end of this month to allow fall blooms to set. Continue feeding them lightly. To promote 'trophy size' flowers on Chrysanthemums, allow only one or two main shoots to develop. Remove all side buds as they begin to develop and provide support to the stems. To produce the largest Dahlia flowers (especially 'Dinner plate' Dahlias), the main stems should be kept free of side shoots, allowing only the main terminal bud to develop. Be sure to provide adequate support to prevent wind damage. Dig and divide Bearded Iris this month after they have finished blooming. Discard any diseased or shriveled rhizomes to the trash. Do not compost them. Provide additional mulch and moisture to sweet peas to help prevent them from fizzling out during hot weather. Midday shade will help maintain quality. Sow seeds of Hollyhocks, English daisies, Foxgloves, Violas, Canterbury bells, and Sweet William into the garden now for next year's bloom. Fertilize June bearing strawberries after the harvest, and ever-bearing varieties half way through the season. Plant out successions of salad crops for continued harvesting throughout the summer. These will normally be harvested smaller than during spring. Sow seeds for cool-season crops directly into the garden. As crops finish this month, replant for a fall harvest or plant with a cover crop to till into the soil this fall to increase humus and prevent erosion. Never leave the soil bare. Grasshoppers start being active this month. Baits work the best for control. Continue to be vigilant for slug and snail damage throughout summer. These pests are active at night and hide during the day. Set out traps, baits and repellents at the first sign of activity. Take pictures of your garden now at its peak for winter reminders. Give the compost pile a good stir and monitor the moisture level carefully, as it will dry quickly. The pile should maintain the consistency of a wrung out sponge.
Around The Landscape Raise mower cutting height as the temperatures increase and rain decreases. This will help conserve moisture by shading the ground and decrease stress on the grass. Brown grass in summer is not dead, but rather dormant. This is a normal condition for many grasses and, unless you plan on keeping copious amounts of water on it to keep it green during summer, will return to a lush, green condition when the weather cools and rains begin again. Avoid excessive foot traffic on dormant grass to avoid damage to the crowns. If you've been watering your lawn and plan to conserve water by letting it go dormant, do not discontinue suddenly. Slowly withhold water over a period of two or three weeks and then water only once or twice a month after it goes dormant. Water early in the day to allow the plants time to dry before night. Wet foliage increases fungal diseases. Water deeply each watering and use a lawn water gauge or other container to assure at least an inch of water with each watering. Avoid using fertilizers in hot, dry weather. Continue to feed roses. Discontinue feeding roses (especially shrub roses) toward the end of summer to allow them to harden off and new grow to slow before cold weather sets in. Clematis needs early and late day sun and cool roots. Mulch the roots of Clematis heavily to keep them cool and productive. Verbenas, Euonymus, Pachysandra, Ivy, and climbing roses, among others, will root fairly quickly by layering them into the warm soil. Fasten a section of the stem containing one or more "eyes" down onto cultivated soil with a horseshoe shaped piece of wire or weighted with a rock and cover it with additional soil. By summers end, the stem should be rooted sufficiently to sever it from the parent plant and replant into another area of the garden. Summer blooming shrubs should be pruned for shape after they have finished flowering. Remove any dead or diseased branches. Fertilize flowering shrubs like Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas immediately after they have finished flowering with a 'Rhododendron' or 'Evergreen' type fertilizer. Unless you intend to save them for fall arrangements, dead head the developing seed pods from your Rhododendrons and Azaleas to improve next years bloom. Be careful not to damage next years buds which may be hidden just below the pod. The birds will be enjoying your fruit as much as you and can destroy an entire crop quickly. Keep that bird netting in place and in good repair. Keep all weeds pulled before they go to seed to prevent battling a new crop of weeds next year. Key the birdbaths cleaned and filled. Change the water every day or two to prevent mosquitoes from hatching or use one of the Bt products designed for use in birdbaths and ponds. These do not harm birds and fish, but are deadly to mosquito larva.
On The Patio Take time for an evening or two of entertaining family and friends on your deck or patio. This is a great way and time to show off your gardening prowess. Check your potted plants at least daily, an inch or two down for adequate moisture. Many container plants may require watering twice daily. Water early in the day to allow the plants time to dry before night. Fertilize container plants regularly with a water-soluble plant food at half strength weekly to maintain growth. Geranium cuttings may be made in late July to start plants for indoor bloom during the winter months, and for setting into the garden next spring. You may need to provide supplemental lighting with fluorescent grow lights for really good winter blooms indoors. Even sun-loving indoor plants will benefit from midday shade as they are not accustomed to the intense sunlight. Trim and feed hanging baskets to prolong their beauty.
In The Shed Clean and resharpen those tools after a hard springs use. This is the half-way mark for mowing. Change the oil and air filter in your mower. Have another spark plug ready in case the old one fails before the summers mowing is finished. Dust and dirt will accumulate under the cowlings (covers) of the lawn mower. Remove the cowlings and hose the mower out thoroughly with a strong spray from a hose, then blow out the mower, replace the cowlings and start the mower. Allow to run until thoroughly warmed up to dry thoroughly. If you do not feel capable of doing this, have an expert shop do so for you. This will allow your mower to run cooler and prolong its life. Don't forget to hose out under the deck as well and if you use a bagger attachment, the bag also. If the bag is so dirty that it refuses to come clean, try soaking it overnight in a large container, such as a trash can, with some dishwashing detergent before hosing off the next day.
In The Home Summer is a good time to get saucers, tray pebbles, etc. ready for moving your houseplants back indoors this fall. Take action now to correct issues you had last winter with keeping your plants indoors. Take time now to organize your catalogs and do any article-clipping from magazines and organize in a notebook before the fall catalogs start arriving and the fall garden gets busy. Start ordering those fall bulbs the end of this month to guarantee that you get what you really want for fall planting.
For Yourself Enjoy a summers evening lounging with a glass of tea, spiked with some fresh mint from your garden. Start a new hobby by purchasing a telescope and exploring the stars on a clear summers night. Summer evenings can be cool, especially after hot day of working in the garden. This is a perfect time to spend some time around a fire in an outdoor fire pit. Consider having a few friends and family over to roast a dog (hotdog) or two and maybe even a few marshmallows. The fellowship around a fire can be some of the best you will experience all year. Enjoy a late evening walk to enjoy the sights and sounds of a summer night. These can be some of the most relaxing walks you will ever take. Start making plans for your holiday decorating now. Starting now and ordering now will take a lot of stress out of your holiday decorating.
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The information presented in a gardeners calendar is derived from many sources including practical experience of the writer. While we strive to present only fact5ual information, no guarantee is given, whether expressed or implied as to its completeness or accuracy. PO'Folks Ozark Mountain Enterprises accepts no responsibility for any damages resulting from the use of this material. As with all things, PO'Folks Ozark Mountain Enterprises urges all readers to exercise sound reasoning before applying any information they may obtain from any source. |
