The scorching hot days of summer are here again. Does it seem to get hotter and more humid each year, or do I just get amnesia from one summer to the next? Can you imagine if you were a plant or a tree – being outdoors 24/7? I almost feel sorry for them at this time of year. Here are some things to keep in mind for the month of July.
Photo Courtesy of LeAnne Torrans Texas Gardening
Water deeply especially those beautiful trees. Do not just rely on your irrigation system. I usually like to put a water hose on trees to drip slowly for several hours.
Please check your plants as some might need a little more water than what the sprinkler system offers. Routinely walk around your garden in the evening or early morning and see if there is any plant that requires a little bit more of hand watering.
Check the sprinkler system : As plants grow, some heads might get covered with foliage, others might be broken or leaking. I usually like to do this once a month, but most especially in the heat of the summer. Run each zone and walk around inspecting the heads to make sure they are covering the areas they were intended to cover. One broken head can cause a lot of dry spots!
Mulch is important to have in the summer, make sure to keep a 2” layer of mulch so that the beds can retain more moisture.
Vegetable gardens : At this time I start preparing my garden for fall vegetables and herbs such as tomato, peppers, cucumbers, squash, basil, oregano, and thyme. Pull weeds, discard any old leaves and add compost or fresh potting soil as needed. Seeds of corn, cucumber, black-eyed peas, cantaloupe and pumpkins can be planted at this time. I always enjoy adding a little splash of seasonal color in my kitchen garden; you should try adding a little color in yours!
Clean up : Eliminate any standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Clean out bird-baths and fountains and add fresh water.
Fertilize & dead head : I love to prune and dead head my Perennials and annuals around the middle of the month. I add an application of Holganix bloom or Color Star Fertilizer or both so they can quickly flush back out and start blooming. If my annuals are full of blooms I usually cannot bring myself to pruning the entire plant, so I do it in stages. I prune half a plant one week and the other half the next so that I do not lose all the blooms at once. Trimming and fertilizing will reward you with a longer bloom season.
Pots: I usually spruce up my pots in July by removing some of the spring blooming annuals and replacing them with heat loving summer annuals such as; Purslane, Portulaca, Angelonia, Penta, Lantana & Vinca.
Remember to apply sunblock, wear a hat and stay hydrated while gardening in this heat. Tell me what steps you take to prepare for the summer, I would love to hear from you!
Ciao Mardel
