Gardening Tips
July Tip
FLOWER GARDEN TASKS:
Pinch the top pair of leaves on Chrysanthemum shoots longer than 5" to keep plants bushy. Cut canna stems to the ground as they finish flowering; new stems will continue to appear. Dig and divide overcrowded irises and bulbs when the foliage dies off. Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
VEGETABLE GARDEN TASKS:
Harvest vegetables promptly to enourage continued production.
July is the month we need to start seeds for our Autumn garden. It is hard to think about brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, rutabaga, & lettuce... but it is time to start sowing those seeds!
Some crops, like carrots, have short harvest periods, so you can make several successive plantings or choose several varieties to stagger harvests.
Some of crops have short growing seasons, you may want to plant another crop after harvesting the first. Consult a planting chart for appropriate planting dates (see, for example, chapter 14 of the California Master Gardener Handbook).
HOME ORCHARD:
Pick up dropped fruit to prevent brown rot and reduce dried fruit beetles. Clean around trees.