July Gardening Calendar Week 1

Ornamentals

• Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather.
• Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed.
• While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra and spray hardy phlox to prevent powdery mildew.
• Newly planted trees and shrubs should continue to be watered thoroughly, once a week.
• Fertilize container plants every 2 weeks with a water soluble solution.
• Keep weeds from making seeds now. This will mean less weeding next year.
• Keep deadheading spent annual flowers for continued bloom.
• Perennials that have finished blooming should be deadheaded. Cut back the foliage some to encourage tidier appearance.
• Plant zinnia seed by July 4th for late bloom in annual border.
• Spray hollies for leaf miner control.
• Prune climbing roses and rambler roses after bloom.
• Apply final treatment for borers on hardwood trees.
• Apply no fertilizers to trees and shrubs after July 4th. Fertilizing late may cause lush growth that is apt to winter kill.
• Hot, dry weather is ideal for spider mite development. With spider mite damage, leaves may be speckled above and yellowed below. Evergreen needles appear dull gray-green to yellow or brown. Damage may be present even before webs are noticed.

Lawns

• Water frequently enough to prevent wilting. Early morning irrigation allows turf to dry before nightfall and will reduce the chance of disease.

Vegetables

• Blossom-end rot of tomato and peppers occurs when soil moisture is uneven. Water when soils begin to dry; maintain a 2-3 inch layer of mulch.
• To minimize insect damage to squash and cucumber plants, try covering them with lightweight floating row covers. Remove covers once plants flower.

Fruits

• Cover grape clusters loosely with paper sacks to provide some protection from marauding birds.
• Prune out and destroy old fruiting canes of raspberries after harvest is complete.
• Blackberries are ripening now.

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