July & August
During these glorious days of summer, there are three main things to remember:
- Deeply water in the morning.
This helps avoid fungal and bacterial diseases. Soaker hoses are an excellent way to water deeply and slowly.
- Mulch to conserve water and maintain soil temperatures.
- Fertilize (following label instructions) to continue harvests.
Of course, there are a few other specific reminders…
Houseplants:
- If you see tiny black gnats, they’re fungus gnats. Let the soil become drier between watering and remove any dead leaves from the pot. The gnats will disappear.
- This is a good time to fertilize as most plants are growing vigorously.
- Check leaves for sunburn and move away from windows if needed.
- Rotate if plants are bending towards the windows.
- Check the bottoms of pots to see if transplanting to a larger pot is necessary.
Lawn: Watch for brown spots. This could be lack of water or grubs eating the roots.
Fruit Trees:
- Enjoy your harvest!
- Remember to clean up dropped or rotting fruit.
- Fertilize and watch for pests.
Vegetables:
- Fertilize to continue the harvest.
- Check for bugs such as cucumber beetles (look like green ladybugs) and caterpillars such as tomato hornworms.
- Begin to prepare winter beds.
General Garden:
- Deadhead annuals
- Cut back other leggy plants to encourage bloom.
- Check your irrigation system for clogged or popped heads and remember to check to be certain it is covering all areas.
