- Prepared by: Terry Lewis
Published on: August 1, 2024
A houseplant is simply an outdoor plant brought inside. Light requirements vary for indoor plants, but most of them will not tolerate direct summer sun.
Tasks
- Check drip emitters to adjust flow and unclog them if needed.
- Lightly trim lavenders after they have finished flowering to keep them compact.
- Support any heavily laden branches of fruit and nut trees.
- Water citrus being careful not to overwater. Continuously wet soil in the upper few inches risks root rot.
Pruning
- Deadhead roses, remove suckers and unwanted branches, and prune to improve air circulation.
- Divide iris every 2 or 3 years and replant new rhizomes.
Fertilizing
- Lightly fertilize annuals and roses for fall bloom.
Planting
- Any planting this month (including trees and shrubs) will require adequate water and sun protection.
- Bulbs, corms, tubers: Watsonia.
- Fruits and vegetables: lettuce, mustard, peas, potatoes, spinach, Swiss chard, turnips (plant from seed).
Enjoy now
- Annuals and perennials: petunia, annual phlox (Phlox drummondii), moss rose (Portulaca), sage (Salvia), Stokes' aster (Stokesia), verbena, zinnia.
- Bulbs, corms, tubers: lily (Lilium asiatic hybrid).
- Trees, shrubs, vines: desert willow (Chilopsis), rose, chaste tree (Vitex).
- Fruits and vegetables: cantaloupe, plum, tomato, tomatillo, squash.
Things to ponder
- Do not allow vegetables to dry out - but do not over water either. A consistent, even supply of moisture prevents bitterness in cucumbers and cracking and poor fruit quality in tomatoes.
- Standing water, even in the very smallest container, can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
- Browse fall catalogs to order seeds and bulbs for winter and spring.
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