Linder's Garden Center

July Gardening Checklist

General

Be sure with the warm, dry weather that all of your plants are watered on a regular basis, especially those in pots. They will probably need water every day. Watering in the early morning is best. Continue to fertilize your pots regularly according to the package directions.
Despite hot dry weather, weeds are growing vigorously this time of year. If you did not apply a pre-emergent weed inhibitor to your flower gardens, you will need to stay ahead of the weeds.
Keep an eye on your compost bin. Compost in progress should be just barely moist. You may need to moisten the bin contents in dry weather to aid the breakdown of compost materials. Keeping it too wet excludes air and may promote odor, but compost materials will not break down if the pile is too dry.
Now is the time to add that garden statue, birdbath or pond you have had your heart set on. Linder’s has a great selection of garden accessories for any size garden.

Birding in Your Backyard

Clean your birdfeeders and birdbath. Keeping them cleaned on a regular basis is important for birds’ health.

Lawns

Your lawn also needs water in hot dry weather. Be sure lawns get around 1 inch of water per week. A good deep 1 inch soaking once a week is better than light more frequent watering.
As with your flowers, trees and shrubs, lawns should also be watered in the early morning.
Please be aware that many cities have watering restrictions with regard to lawn watering. Be sure to check with the city in which you live regarding any restrictions they may have in place.
With less frequent rains, set your mower blade to a higher cutting height (approx. 2.5 to 3 inches). Mowing less frequently and not as short helps shade the grass roots, reducing the need for water. Never cut more than 1/3rd of the grass blade when mowing.
Setting your lawn mower to mulch will add nutrients back to your lawn.
Keep lawn mower blades sharp so they cut the grass cleanly. Tearing grass makes it more susceptible to disease.

Vegetables & Annuals

Water hanging annual baskets frequently in warm windy weather.
Cut back and replace some of those tired annuals with fresh new ones.
Add any hoops, cages, or stakes to plants that are likely to need additional support throughout the summer (tomatoes, peppers, peas, etc…)
Remove dead flowers from annuals to promote continuous blooming during the summer.
Water your vegetable garden deeply and regularly. For healthy tomato fruit to develop and avoid Blossom End Rot, tomato plants need to be evenly watered.
Be sure you fertilize your annuals every couple of weeks with a good bloom booster fertilizer such as Linder’s Pro Thrive fertilizer.
Mulch annuals to retain moisture and keep weeds in check.
Pull weeds when they are small- this will save time and effort later.
Water and watch closely any new transplants until they become established

Trees, Shrubs, Roses, & Perennials

Starting around mid-July, cut back on the amount of high nitrogen fertilizer being applied to trees, shrubs, roses, and perennials. Nitrogen promotes vegetative growth and soon our plants will start storing energy for next year’s growth. We do not want to force new growth.
Native perennials, shrubs, and trees make a great addition to your yard.
Trim and shape hedges to keep them neat and tidy. Trimming your hedge just slightly narrower at the top than at the bottom will encourage foliage from the ground up.
For a successful Rose program, Roses will need regular applications of a specialized rose food to ensure they reach their full size potential and produce abundant flowers. Feeding will also strengthen plants against pests, disease, and severe winter cold. Don’t forget to water your roses in the morning and at the base (avoid foliage getting wet or staying wet for long periods of time) to reduce diseases.
Add any hoops, cages, or stakes to plant that are likely to need additional support throughout the summer (peonies, delphinium, tomatoes, etc…)
Mulch perennials to retain moisture and keep weeds in check
Pull weeds when they are small- this will save time and effort later
Remove dead flowers from perennials to promote continuous blooming during the summer.
Water and watch closely any new transplants until they become established

Indoor Plants

Be sure to fertilize every other week for optimum growth.
Now is also a good time to give them a good shower. This washes off the dust and dirt that accumulates on the foliage from the last couple of months.

Being Water Wise and Protecting Plants during Times of Drought

Responsible watering practices entail more than just the water you use and when you use it. Here are a few items to help you conserve water and help your plants survive a dry spell.

Mulch all shrubs and trees heavily with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, this is important in conserving soil moisture and keeping roots cool to reduce the stress on the plants. Perennials quality is greatly improved by mulching as well. Keep the mulch an inch or two away from the plant stems to minimize disease problems at the plant crown.
Water deeply and slowly allowing time for the water to soak into the ground. Apply it at a rate that produces minimal runoff.
All plants should be watered thoroughly before mulching. A slow release fertilizer added at this time would be beneficial as well.
The best time to water is in the morning. The water has the best chance of soaking into the ground and the plants can utilize the water during the heat of the day. If this is not possible, make sure to water early enough in the evening so that plant leaves can dry before sundown.
Do not allow established, mature trees to dry out when rain has been infrequent. Even well established trees can die because they did not receive enough water. All it takes to keep them alive is one deep watering a week.
Be sure and stop in to Linder’s and pick up any items for your watering needs.
Don’t forget to occasionally sit back, grab a cold glass of lemonade and ENJOY all the beautiful color in your garden!

If you have questions or problems, our helpful customer service representatives will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We want you to be a successful gardener with less work!