(Note: Some tasks from last month can carry over into this month due to the closeness in the season. If you have already performed any of these tasks, enjoy the feeling of having that task complete!)
LAWNS
- Click here for a link to Evergreen’s 4 Step DIY lawncare program. Spot spraying can also be done. We suggest one keeping a small 1-2 gallon pump spray dedicated to a selective lawn herbicide, such as Fertilome Weed Out, for spot spraying selective weeds on a selective basis.
- Bermuda Grass will be sprouting this month. You can use HiYield Triclopyr Ester on emerging Bermuda Grass to suppress it’s growth within the lawn. Ask an associate about application rates & frequency.
- During dry spells, water the lawn thoroughly and deeply in the morning. Watering in the morning ensures it is dry by nightfall and helps prevent any disease or fungal issues. Watering deeply encourages deep root growth and helps the lawn stay hydrated. A good deep watering a few times a week is better than a light daily sprinkle.
- Keep lawns mowed at a 3-4″ grass height. Shorter lawns get more stressed and cause unsightly drying out.
TREES & SHRUBS
- Deadhead any faded and spent blooms on your Roses and don’t forget to fertilize monthly with Fertilome Rose Food.
- If you haven’t already, feed your Crape Myrtles with Fertilome Gardener’s Special. Need more July Crape Myrtle tips? Read more here.
- For Roses, Azaleas, Hemlocks, Holly, and many forms of deciduous shrubs, insects such as Aphids, Lacebug, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, soft scales, and more begin to infest and graze on the foliage and internal fluids of these shrubs. A great and easy to apply soil drench insecticide, Fertilome Tree & Shrub Insecticide Drench, is a system insecticide that is applied to the soil and root area and taken up by the shrub for a year long of insect control. No spraying or difficult to apply methods. Simply follow the instructions for the shrub or tree size and blend with a bit of water to apply to the soil and root area.
GENERAL LANDSCAPE
- Fill your birdbaths with water daily to give your feathered friends some much needed moisture on these hot & dry July days.
- Standing watering is a great mosquito breeding ground so on that note – a daily refill of water will help prevent any breeding grounds.
VEGETABLE GARDENS
- Some vegetables will be ready for harvest! As you harvest veggies, if you have too much of anything, bring a smile to a neighbor and share.
- Plant a second harvest of certain crops such as Bush Beans. Read about more great July veggie planting choices here.
- Keep your cucumbers well-watered. Cucumbers in drier soil tend to create a more bitter fruit.
- Water in the morning. Avoid watering the hot afternoon and the evening (evening watering can encourage fungal/mildew issues)
- Later this month, you can start your fall crop seeds.
PERENNIALS
- Heavily cut back your candytuft & creeping phlox now.
- Remove any faded blooms or stalks also known as “deadheading”. This helps prolong blooming and encourages more new blooms to appear while maintaining a neat appearance.
- Divide your Bearded Iris, if desired
- Divide your Oriental Poppies, if desired, as the foliage begins to die
FLOWER BEDS & CONTAINERS
- Yes – you still can buy beautiful summer flowers! Summer flowers bloom until first frost which frequently doesn’t occur until October here so you have plenty of time to enjoy their lovely bright colors
- Don’t forget to fertilize flowering containers every other week with Fertilome 20-20-20
- Don’t let containers dry out. Most container flowers in a sunny area need to be watered daily to keep from drying out. Container flowers in the shade can be watered less frequently. We recommend watering in the morning.
- Deadhead your summer annuals such as Petunias, Marigolds, Geraniums, etc. to keep a neat appearance and encourage new blooms
WATER GARDENS
- Adding new plants and fish are among those things often done in spring but can be done at any time of the year from Spring thru fall.
- Cleaning water gardens of their collected wastes can also vary from approach. Varying on environments, quality of ecological balance in the water garden, volume of sunlight, fish load, and feeding habits all have a great affect on the accumulation of unwanted waste debris in the water garden. Cleaning too often can be a problem and rarely should ever be done more than every 1-2 years. If a collection of bio waste & debris is present in the bottom at a depth of more than 1-2”, then a cleaning is likely needed. If no more waste is present than this, cleaning can be avoided but does vary from site to site. As one of our water garden associates for more details.
- Start up of beneficial bacteria with one, such as Microbe Lift PL, is an important part of kick starting an ecological balance. Beneficial bacterial play an important role in removing the need ammonia and nitrites to beneficial and less toxic nitrates taking up by aquatic plants. This is one of the most important parts of a successful water garden. Ask one of our associates more about how to tweak and manage an ecological balance in your water garden.
- Always keep some Dechlorinator “Pond Detox” on hand in the case of an accidental condition of overfilling with tap water. Often pond owners will add water to the water garden from their tap water source having chlorine and other metals present. Any time more than 20-25% of the pond’s water volume is added new, a dechlorinator product should be added to ensure that your fish are not killed. Chlorine in heavier volume will kill pond hard fish. Most pond owners have experienced accidentally leaving on a water hose too long to only find out that they don’t have a dechlorinating product on hand. We advise to always keep some on hand for when this may occur.
