July Gardening Calendar

I know it is hot out there but here is a to do list for all the garden spaces you may have.  Remember to stay hydrated and work in the early morning or late evening hours to prevent over heating.

ORNAMENTALS

• Weeks 1-4: Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather.
• Weeks 1-4: Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed.
• Weeks 1-4: While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra and spray hardy phlox to prevent powdery mildew.
• Weeks 1-4: Newly planted trees and shrubs should continue to be watered thoroughly, once a week.
• Weeks 1-4: Fertilize container plants every 2 weeks with a water soluble solution.
• Weeks 1-4: Keep weeds from making seeds now. This will mean less weeding next year.
• Weeks 1-4: Keep deadheading spent annual flowers for continued bloom.
• Weeks 1-4: Perennials that have finished blooming should be deadheaded. Cut back the foliage some to encourage tidier appearance.
• Weeks 1-2: Plant zinnia seed by July 4th for late bloom in annual border.
• Weeks 1-2: Spray hollies for leaf miner control.
• Weeks 1-2: Prune climbing roses and rambler roses after bloom.
• Weeks 1-2: Apply final treatment for borers on hardwood trees.
• Week 1: Apply no fertilizers to trees and shrubs after July 4th. Fertilizing late may cause lush growth that is apt to winter kill.
• Week 1: 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.
• Weeks 2-3: Fall webworms begin nest building near the ends of branches of infested trees. Prune off webs. Spray with Bt if defoliation becomes severe.
• Week 4: Divide and reset oriental poppies after flowering as the foliage dies.
• Weeks 3-4: Semi-hardwood cuttings of spring flowering shrubs can be made now.
• Weeks 3-4: Summer pruning of shade trees can be done now.
• Week 3: Powdery mildew is unsightly on lilacs, but rarely harmful. Shrubs grown in full sun are less prone to this disease.
• Week 4: Divide bearded iris now.
• Week 2: Don’t pinch mums after mid-July or you may delay flowering.

LAWNS

• Weeks 1-4: Water frequently enough to prevent wilting. Early morning irrigation allows turf to dry before nightfall and will reduce the chance of disease.
• Weeks 3-4: Monitor lawns for newly hatched white grubs. If damage is occurring, apply appropriate controls, following product label directions.

VEGETABLES

• Weeks 1-4: 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.
• Week 1: To minimize insect damage to squash and cucumber plants, try covering them with lightweight floating row covers. Remove covers once plants flower.
• Week 2: Dig potatoes when the tops die. Plant fall potatoes by the 15th.
• Weeks 3-4: For the fall garden, sow seeds of collards, kale, sweet corn and summer squash as earlier crops are harvested.
• Weeks 3-4: Set out broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants for the fall garden.
• Week 3: Sweet corn is ripe when the silks turn brown.
• Week 3: Keep cukes well watered. Drought conditions will cause bitter fruit.
• Week 3: Harvest onions and garlic when the tops turn brown.
• Week 4: Sow seeds of carrots, beets, turnips, and winter radish for fall harvest.
• Weeks 1-4: Cover grape clusters loosely with paper sacks to provide some protection from marauding birds.
• Week 1: Prune out and destroy old fruiting canes of raspberries after harvest is complete.
• Week 1: Blackberries are ripening now.
• Weeks 2-3: Apply second spray to trunks of peach trees for peach borers.
• Weeks 3-4: Early peach varieties ripen now.
• Week 4: Thornless blackberries ripen now.

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