July Gardening Tips

Gardening Maintenance

• Watering and pest control are top of the "To Do" list.
• Water after midnight and before 10am to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
• Pinch off the top pair of leaves on all chrysanthemum shoots longer than 5" to keep plants bushy and produce more flowers.
• Cut spent berry canes to the ground; tie up and fertilize new canes.
• Cut canna stems to the ground as they finish flowering; new stems will continue to appear.
• Prune fruit bushes again.
• Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage continued production.
• Dig and divide over-crowded irises and bulbs when the foliage dies off.
• Remove spent flowers of daylilies, roses, and other bloomers a they finish flowering.
• Fertilize roses.
• Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
• Trim faded crape myrtle flowers for more fall bloom.
• Pick up dropped fruit to prevent brown rot.  Clean around trees.
• Pick caterpillars off vegetables and flowers.  Spray with Bt if needed.
• Spray off aphids with water or use insecticidal soap.
• Pull weeds when they first appear.

What to Plant in July

Flowers

• Direct seed annuals, such as alyssum, celosia, sunflower, zinnias, and marigolds.

Vegetables

• At higher, cooler elevations, direct seed summer squash, bush beans, summer savory, and kohlrabi.
• If fruit isn't setting on your melons and squash, use a soft brush to hand-pollinate the flowers and increase production.  Use the brush to gather pollen from male flowers, then brush it onto the female flower.  (Female flowers have a tiny embryo fruit at the base of their petals.)