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J uly is the time the weather gets hot, and the rain disappears. Time to give your plants extra attention to adequate moisture, protection from pests, plan a fall garden, and plan fall plantings. Work on plants for fall projects like a new deck or dry waterbed. Things to Plant in July. Clean up spring vegetable gardens and replenish with compost. Diseases: Powdery mildew may be on crape myrtles and roses. Remove any diseased leaves from beds; do not add to compost. Fertilize: Give annuals a complete fertilizer, water well before and after. Fertilize young fruit trees with the exception of pears with a 3-1-2-ratio product. Deadhead and fertilize roses. To keep hanging baskets looking attractive, soak the baskets in a tub of water every dew days in addition to the regular watering. This is also a good time to fertilize baskets, but never apply fertilizer to dry plants Insects: Watch for Spider mites, leaf rollers, and lacebugs on azaleas. Chinch bugs, fleas, ticks, chiggers and grubs in lawns. Scale insects on euonymus, hollies, camellias. Webworms in pecans and persimmons. Aphids on crape myrtle, roses and Mexican milkweed. Scale on peaches and plums. Spray trunks to prevent borer attack. Check junipers, roses and marigolds for red spider mites. The brown, discolored foliage may be due to mite damage. Don't forget the regular spray program on roses to prevent blackspot. Lawn Care: Mow every 5-7 days, leaving the clippings on the lawn. Watch for take-all patch. Set mower higher in shady areas to promote denser turf. Check your lawnmower. With hot weather, raise the mower blade slightly, to avoid scalping and damaging the grass. Mulch: Mulch all bare soil. Turn compost pile and add new ingredients. Planning: Summer is a good time to add needed construction elements to the garden. Consider patios, fencing, decks, garden pools, walks and overhead structures. Empty areas of the vegetable garden that have finished producing & sow seeds for cool season crops such as collards & broccoli Clean up any standing water to deter mosquitoes. If you have to be out, be sure to wear a wide-brimmed hat, use sunscreen and drink plenty of water. Keep cool! And admire your landscape. Planting: FLOWER PLANTS: Ageratum, Ajuga, Alpine Aster, Balsam, Wax Begonia, Blue Daze, Silver Dollar Plant, Periwinkle, Purslane, Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage), Sedum, Stokes’ Aster, Vinca, and Zinnia. VEGETABLES: Early—Mid Month: Pumpkin, Sweet Potato. Mid—Late Month: Corn, Eggplant, Peppers, Southern Pea, Tomatoes, and Winter Squash. ALL Month: Okra Clean up iris beds, thin out clumps if crowded. They can be transplanted anytime from late July to October. |
Pruning: Remove vigorous growth from center of peach and plum trees to prevent shading of fruiting shoots. Prune dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs as needed. Do not prune oaks. Water: Keep close check on recently planted plants. Inadequate root systems and drought can be damaging. Plants, such as azalea, pittosporum, etc., injured by late cold should not be allowed to suffer drought stress. Water all planted areas deeply but infrequently during dry periods. Outdoor container plants need daily watering. Consider landscaping with drought resistant native plants in the future. Many spring plants are setting winter buds in late July and August. Drought conditions can affect size, quality and quantity of spring flowers. This is true of azaleas, camellias, peaches, pears, forsythia and other similar plants. Don’t allow them to suffer drought stress. GARDEN PROBLEM GUIDE This article appeared in EarthKind Landscape and Gardening Guide, 1997-1998, produced by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, College Station.
By Derald Freeman TCMGA MG |
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