Gardening Tips for July

When the mercury rises, plants struggle to stay hydrated. Providing plants with adequate
moisture ensures more than seasonal good looks — it's a key to long-term health. Try these tips to make the most of your irrigation efforts.
We all should be aware that the best times to water are early morning or early evening. If you water during the heat of the day, you lose more moisture to evaporation, instead of soaking soil. This also allows the lawn or flower bed to retain more water.
Apply organic mulch to your landscape beds to help cool the soil and conserve water. Fine mulches — like ground fir bark — are great for annual beds, vegetable gardens, and perennial borders. Use coarser mulches, like cypress mulch, for landscape beds and around the base of trees. Always leave space between the mulch and the stems and trunks of plants.

Remove spent flower heads on perennials, annuals, and shrubs so the plants can concentrate their energy on growth rather than seed production. July is a good time to prune back June-blooming perennials and shrubs, such as Salvias and Spireas. Mid-season pruning prevents the plants from getting stretched, overgrown, and ‘floppy.’ It also encourages the plants to bloom again for some late summer color.

Annuals planted in container gardens are heavy feeders because they are watered frequently. Keep these plants robust by alternating feedings with granular and liquid fertilizers. Granular fertilizer slowly releases its nutrients while the liquid gives the plants a quick boost. Plants that produce large quantities of flowers—like hibiscus, Mandevilla, and petunias—need to be fed more often than other plants. Fertilize them every 10 days as opposed to every two weeks.
Watch for signs of pests and diseases. Watch for signs of plant and lawn insect damage and fungus diseases. Spray fungicides (as needed) that are diluted by 1/3 to prevent burning the foliage.

Pinch back straggly plants and deadhead spent blooms to maintain a neat appearance.