Now that summer is summer-ing, it’s important to keep loving on your plants so they stay as healthy and beautiful as possible. Here are ten things you can do to maintain your garden in July.
Summer is the perfect time to be outdoors tending to your garden. Here’s a quick checklist of things you can do this month to help your garden thrive as the temperatures rise.
1. Harvest
If you’re growing fruits or vegetables, they’re probably close to being ready for harvest. Gather up veggies such as zucchini, cucumbers, and eggplants while they’re young, and pick ripe berries each day when they’re at peak flavor.
2. Weed
Many plants thrive in the summer heat. Unfortunately, so do weeds. Consistent weeding can prevent these unwanted bullies from stealing your plants’ nutrients and overtaking your garden.
3. Deadhead
To keep your flowers pretty, deadhead the spent blooms by snipping or cutting where the base of the flower meets the stem. This allows for new flower growth, extending the life of your plant.
4. Water
Extra sunshine and less rain makes it is easy for plants to get dried out. Keep an eye on the forecast. If your garden isn’t receiving around an inch of water every week, take hydration into your own hands.
5. Prune
Fruit trees love this time of year. That abundant love can lead to them overproducing. By pruning your trees, you provide fruit adequate space to grow with access to plenty of sunlight and nutrients. This results in fruit that’s the right size and disease-free.
6. Fill
Do you have birdbaths, ponds, or other water features in your garden? The summer heat may cause them to dry up. Schedule some time to clean those pieces and adequately fill the water supply.
7. Mulch
There are two big benefits to mulching your garden in the summer: smothering weeds before they have the chance to grow, and slowing the evaporation of water to keep your soil moist. Use your choice of synthetic plastic mulch, organic compost, or anything else you have on-hand and spread a thick, even layer around your plants.
8. Remove
If one plant gets sick, it can make other plants sick, too. Check through your garden for rotting fruits, vegetables, or flowers. If you find any, remove them and clean up the area to avoid other wilting plants.
9. Cut
When flowering plants are blooming, start cutting some back to clear up space in your garden. Gather flowers for a colorful bouquet and pick herbs to use in the kitchen (either fresh or dried.)
10. Plant
Contrary to what some may say, it’s not too late to add new elements to your garden. If you plant quick-growing annuals like zinnias, cosmos, or cornflowers in the middle of summer, you’ll see blooms by August.
Maintaining a healthy garden takes regular TLC. If you need advice or supplies to keep your plants beautiful and hearty this summer, come see us at the greenhouse!
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