This Month in Gardening – July

July is not the most fun month to be out in the garden, so maybe get some planning done for cooler months. Of course, things keep happening in the garden whether you like it or not, so morning is you best bet. If you do get out there, make sure you wear sunscreen and drink water! Keep reading for July gardening tasks.

Planning

• Plan now for a fall vegetable garden
  • Warm-season vegetables need to be mature at least two weeks before the average first frost date
  • Cool season vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard, spinach, turnip greens) can be reach maturity about two weeks after the average first frost date

Prepping

• Divide bearded irises if they need it (about every three to five years they can get overcrowded)
  • Cut back their leaves about six inches high
  • Lift the clump with a spading fork or shovel
  • Remove any dead, diseased, or dying rhizomes
  • Cut the rhizomes into smaller pieces, each with an eye
  • Replant the rhizomes close to the surface, and give away any extras to a garden friend!
• Fertilize summer-flowering plants – annuals and those in containers
• Fertilize bermuda and zoysia grass lawns
• Pinch back herbs like oregano, mint, and basil to make them bushier and less leggy
• Deadhead all perennials and annuals
• Prune/cut off any dead, dying, or diseased foliage or branches
• Harvest ripe fruits and vegetables
• Water plants if they don’t get at least an inch in a week
• Continue to weed!

Planting

• You can plant warm season lawns (bermuda, zoysia) by sodding, sprigging, or plugging provided you keep the sod moist as you work and don’t let it dry out even slightly during the first two weeks and continue to water it weekly if you don’t get at least an inch of rainfall per week
• You can still plant perennials, though it’s definitely not the best time – you will need to water them more frequently than other months

Even though most advice everywhere will tell you not to plant in the summer (and for good reason), I still do. I just can’t seem to pass up a good deal on plants. Especially if it’s one I’ve been wanting for a while. So, I have to keep careful watch and make sure it gets enough water. I usually give them a good drink two-three times per week in the summer. What are you doing in your garden this month? Do you also like to tempt fate and plant during the hot summer months?