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July Gardening Tips
Lawns still need to be watered deeply and infrequently. Watering the lawn for a short period of time will encourage roots to form close to the surface where the soil dries out quickly. Deep watering encourages the grass to form deep roots. Also, deep watering will discourage shallow rooted weeds from thriving. Water early in the morning so the grass surface can dry out quickly and limit the chance for fungal problems. Fertilize again before the fourth of July, and if you are using a timed-release fertilizer you don't need to fertilize again before September. It's not too late to get your soil tested. Phosphorous overload is the number one problem I am seeing in lawns this year. Look for chinch bugs in damaged turf. They are little brown bugs with a distinctive white dot on their back. They can be seen scurrying up and down yellowed and dehydrated grass blades. You can also flush them out with a heavy watering. Another idea is to punch out both ends of a coffee can, push one end into the suspected area of infestation and fill with water. The chinch bugs will float to the surface. Hydrangeas can be pruned now after the bloom cycle is completed. If you have garden mums setting buds you can shear them back into a mound, and they will bloom in the fall. Prune the fruiting canes off your blackberries after all the fruit is harvested. They should be pruned back to the new growth close to the ground. Some spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils that are now completely dormant can be dug up, separated, replanted, or given away. July is also the time to start the fall vegetable garden. Tomato and pepper plants should be in by July 25th. If you are starting seed, plant now. You can cover seed with burlap to keep them moist until germination if you are direct seeding into the garden. I recommend starting all seeds in flowerpots and then replanting because of all the enemies a tender young plant can have this time of year. Do not put your vegetable plants in the same place as they were planted in the spring garden. This month you can also plant eggplant, field peas, lima beans, pumpkins and all squashes. If you like gourds, you can still plant the seed this month for fall harvest. Gourds make wonderful fall decorations. To dry a gourd simply put in a dry place and let it dry out for about 6 months until you can hear the seeds rattle around inside. Pick all gourds before a freeze or they will get mushy and unusable. They have thinner skin than the pumpkins or winter squash that can handle a light freeze.
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Now that we are really getting into the summertime heat, you should be reaping the rewards of adding drought tolerant native perennials to your garden. Although, they don't need as much water as some plants, you will need to water deeply once a week so there will be enough moisture in the soil to get the plants through our hot days. Adding another 4-6 inch layer of mulch around your plants helps conserve moisture in the soil. You can still plant esparanza or yellow bells, passion vine (pictured above), plumbago, salvias, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, perennial hibiscus, bougainvillea, and purslane for summer color. Deadhead (remove old flowers,) fertilize and mulch around faded spring bloomers to revive them and give your garden a fresh new look. Hanging baskets need to be watered nearly every day. Using a general water soluble fertilizer at half strength once a week will keep most hanging baskets looking good and growing throughout the summer. Replace any soil that may have washed out of the baskets, especially if they are hanging under the eaves of the house where water runs over off the roof into the baskets.
