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July To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

  • Succulents
  • Container plants

Plant: food crops

Prune

  • OKAY to prune red oaks and live oaks until February. Spray immediately with clear varnish.
  • No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
  • Dead head flowering plants
  • Last chance to cut back fall blooming perennials (like aster) that are setting buds

Fertilize

  • Foliar feed flowers and vegetables with liquid seaweed
  • Bougainvilla with high nitrogen
  • Container annuals
  • Citrus with high nitrogen fertilizer like Citrus-tone. Fertilize every few weeks through growing season.

Insects

  • Watch for aphids and spider mites. It’s easy to spray them off with a hard blast of water. Be sure to get the undersides of the leaves.
  • Aphids and other insects can plague crape myrtles and other trees in summer (“raining trees” are due to the honeydew secretions). Blast with water hose on regular basis.
  • Aphids and other insects can create sooty mold on plants, a fungus that develops from their secretions (honeydew). Wash off the culprits and the leaves. Remove damaged leaves to the trash (not the compost pile).

Lawn

  • Keep the lawn mower setting up to high. Keep the roots cool by leaving the grass long. Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the top at a time. Leave clippings on the lawn to naturally fertilize.

Prep

  • Start planning the fall garden. Clean up debris in the vegetable garden. Late month, apply compost to future beds

Other tasks

  • Solarize areas where you want to kill grass or weed pests for future planting
  • Collect seeds from summer blooming plants. Clean off the chaff and let dry indoors. Store in jars, envelopes, or paper bags (not plastic) to plant next spring.
  • Deeply water new plants. Even if rain comes, check the soil to 3” deep to make sure their roots have water. A brief shower doesn’t mean it penetrated to the roots.
  • Keep a garden journal to note bloom times and insect habits.

Tips

  • Prune herbs often to encourage new growth
  • Water fruit and nut trees deeply to avoid fruit drop-off
  • Avoid over-watering perennials and annuals in hot, humid conditions. To avoid root rot, check soil moisture. Water deeply and then let dry out.

Tips for all 12 months

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