TIPS FOR BULBS IN JULY:

Lift, divide and store anemone and ranunculus. 

Watch for thrips (a tiny white or brown insect) on gladioli. 

Add several inches of mulch to Asiatic lilies. This will keep the roots cool, protect them from heat and deter weed growth. 






TIPS FOR FLOWERS:

Keep flower beds well weeded. Remove faded blooms. Watch for aphids. 

Harvest blooms of lavender now to keep the plants tidy and encourage more blooms. 

Make sure you keep the soil moist but not soggy around ferns. They may become dormant if they get to dry. 

Now is the time to pick those beautiful perennials for a fresh bouquet indoors. This will also encourage more blooms on most perennials. 

Stake and tie, top heavy plants such as foxgloves and delphiniums. 

Cut back Babies Breath to encourage a second set of blooms. 

Salt deposits can build up in the soil of container plants. This will cause the foliage to burn. Flush out these deposits with water once during the summer. 



TIPS FOR VEGETABLES:

In late July slow down on watering cabbage to prevent the heads from splitting. 

Apply fish emulsion when pepper plants begin to bloom. 

You can begin to harvest some of your string beans now. They will have a fuller flavor when they are bigger but the smaller beans are quite nice too. 

Harvest broccoli before the buds begin to loosen and the yellow flowers begin to appear. 

Clip the flower stalks off garlic. Once the leaves have turned brown garlic can be harvested. 

Spread a couple of inches of compost over asparagus beds. Remember to keep the soil moist. 

Harvest corn when the husk fits tightly around the ear. 

Cut sprigs of Rosemary and freeze whole for future use. 

Cut back about three quarters of the new growth on your thyme plants regularly throughout the summer. 

For a nice fragrance in your kitchen. Tie several branches of sage together and hang it upside down in your kitchen. 

Pinch the stems of basil regularly to prevent flowering. Harvest about once a week. 




GENERAL YARD & GARDEN CARE:

Turn and dampen your compost often. Flies will breed in the grass clippings if you do not turn it regularly. 

Mulch your shallow rooted shrubs (rhododendron and azaleas) to keep the roots cool. 

Remove suckers from Roses, azaleas, camellia, rhododendron and other trees and shrubs as they appear. Cut back shoots of wisteria. 

Water according to the weather. Pay close attention to raised beds and container plants. 

Continue to watch for a get rid of weeds before they go to seed. 





TIPS FOR FRUIT & BERRIES:

Keep canes that are bearing fruit moist throughout the summer. Remove old canes after they have finished producing fruit. 

If your fruit trees appear to be producing to much fruit, make sure you thin it out some. 

Make sure that the grass around your fruit trees is kept short. Grass deprives the trees of nitrogen. 

Mulch and add compost to rhubarb plants to keep the soil moist and prevent weed growth. 

Only allow strawberry plants to grow two runners. Remove all other runners. 

Weed around berry plants. Be carefull of shallow roots. 

Water blueberries, gooseberries and currents often during hot weather. 

Throw away any fruit you find that have been affected by scab (a fungus) 





TIPS FOR LAWNS:

Deep water lawns, trees and shrubs to encourage deep rooting and avoid heat stress. 

Do not start new lawn from seed now. The young grass will not survive the summer heat. 

If you have a new lawn you can add another application of seed, six months later to increase the turf density. 

Watch out for yellow patches, leaf curl or poor growth. Increase watering if you notice any of these signs. 

Water lawns regularily. Set your lawnmower at a higher lever. Longer grass will shade the roots from heat. Don't forget to save your clippings for the compost pile. Never add your cuttings after a weed treatment. 



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