It is the beginning of July, thankfully warm, and therefore we can officially say summer is here. The hot sun and long days feels glorious. July is a peak month for buzzing about the garden. Whether you garden barefoot, garden by moonlight, or garden with your best friend, garden activities abound so get out there and see what your home planet is graciously providing. Many fruits and vegetables are in full production mode so hopefully everyone is enjoying the beautiful bounty, and from where ever it comes, may we be grateful!
V: vegetables, A: annuals P: perennials, B: bulbs, T: trees, H: herbs
SOW SEEDS DIRECTLY IN GARDEN
V: Beans, beets, carrots, chard, cucumber, corn (on coast), eggplant, green onions, greens (under shade), lettuce (heat tolerant), peas, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash
START IN FLATS
V: Asian veggies (bok choy), broccoli, cabbage, corn, cucumber, dark leafy greens, lettuce, summer squash
Start seeds in mountains early to mid month, on coast late month
PLANT
V: Broccoli, bush beans, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, green onions, peas, spinach, summer squash, turnips
P: celosia, chrysanthemums, salvia, zinnia
B: iris
Plant bedding flowers for summer and fall color
FERTILIZE N-P-K
Fertilize vegetables as needed with fish emulsion, liquid food or manure teas. Stop fertilizing roses to let them rest. Feed container plants every few weeks.
PRUNE
Deadhead flower stalks. Cut lavender, statice, and yarrow flowers. Divide irises using a spading fork and knife and replant rhizome including one leaf. Let hips form on roses.
HARVEST
Runner beans, broad beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, melon, peas, potato, spinach, tomato, turnip
MULCH – IRRIGATION – SOIL
Halt water to natives unless establishing new plants. Reduce water to tomatoes and citrus. Watch tuberous begonias, dahlias, ferns, fuchsias, hydrangeas, gardenias, palms, and annuals for water stress. Water well exotics and vegetable crops. Poke 4-6 holes with stick in container plants to aid in water penetration to keep plants moist.
PESTS
Watch for budworms on geraniums, nicotiana, penstemons, and petunias and remove and destroy. Handpick tomato hornworms and destroy.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Stake tall flowers and divide irises. Help pollinate squash and melon. Plant propagation. Take cuttings of herbaceous perennials and plant in peat moss/perlite mix. Build a pond.