July Gardening Activities – Region 4
Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Gardens
States in this region include: Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, DC, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Texas (eastern), Arkansas, and Tennessee.
-
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored
clothing
when working in the garden. (And don’t forget the hat, sunscreen and water bottle!) Early morning and evening hours are the coolest times to work outside. Remember to pace yourself – the garden will be there tomorrow.
-
Got mulch? If your landscape beds haven’t been mulched yet, it’s time to get it done! A few inches of organic mulch is all that’s needed to keep weeds at bay, conserve needed soil moisture and protect roots from the hot, scorching sun. (A word to the wise: Never mound mulch around the crown or trunk of plants; keep it a few inches away.)
-
Keep your annuals looking their colorful best: Deadhead any spent flowers (to encourage more blooms), keep up with watering (check beds and containers daily), and liquid-feed (according to label directions) to encourage additional flowers through the season.
-
Give your
lawn
a refreshing drink…repeatedly. It needs long, thorough waterings, especially in high temps. Give it 1-2 inches of water per week, with as much of that in one application as possible, to help keep the grass healthy and green. (But be prepared: It could take several hours to apply that needed amount of water.)
-
Before going on your
summer vacation, enlist a trustworthy neighbor or gardening friend to care for your lawn and garden while you’re away. To make sure your plants (and friendship) survive, invite your “garden babysitter” over to your yard before you leave, so you can clearly discuss your task expectations.
-
Remember to
share
your excess produce from your veggie garden – perhaps with a food co-op or shelter. (This is a great summertime act of kindness, especially when children are involved!)
-
Grow rosemary, basil, sage and tarragon – it’s easy in the summer garden! Then take the time to make your own
dried herbs, oils and infusions so you can enjoy your summer harvest when the snow flies!
-
Think ahead!
Start seeds
of cool-season crops like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts for harvesting later this fall. Seeds can be directly sown in your vegetable garden or started in seed trays for transplanting in the garden later this summer.
-
Work on your perennials: Deadhead any spent flowers; cut back catmint to encourage another round of blooms; hand-pull any weeds that crop up; and divide, clean and reset iris rhizomes.
-
Get out your camera and
garden journal
– it’s time to take inventory of what’s doing well and what’s struggling in your garden! Documenting how your garden grows will help you decide what to plant next season. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, so photograph the good (for replication next year), capture the bad (so mistakes aren’t repeated) and avoid the ugly next year.
|
|
|