To Do List for July

Fertilizing

  • Continue sidedressing your garden vegetables.
  • July is the month we recommend giving landscape plants a second (last) feeding of fertilizer.
  • Take soil samples form your lawn areas for testing. Soil boxes are available at the County Extension Center.

Planting

  • Plants of brussel sprouts and collards can be set out in mid-July.
  • You can begin your fall vegetable garden this month. Plant beans, carrots, brussels sprouts, and tomatoes in July.
  • Start broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower plants in peat pots to transplant into the vegetable garden in mid-August.
  • Begin repotting overgrown houseplants.

Pruning

  • Prune “bleeder” trees like maple, dogwood, birch and elm this month.
  • Prune the fruiting canes of raspberry and blackberry plants after harvest is over. Cut canes at ground level.
  • Prune off dieback limbs on hybrid rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, and blueberry.
  • Trim hedges as needed.
  • Continue pruning white pines and narrowleaf evergreens like juniper early in the month.
  • Remove faded flowers on flowering perennials to encourage a second flowering.
  • Pinch your chrysanthemums the first week only!
  • Do NOT prune spring flowering shrubs now.
  • Prune raspberry and blackberry canes at ground level when harvesting is done.

Spraying

  • Spray the following landscape shrubs for the following insect pests: arborvitae (bagworms), azalea and pyracantha (lace bug).
  • Spray for Japanese beetles as needed.
  • Continue with rose spray program.
  • Spray your tree fruits and bunch grapes on a regular basis.
  • Spray the following vegetables if insects are observed: cucumber (cucumber beetle), squash (aphids), tomato and eggplant (flea beetle).
  • Spray woody weeds like poison ivy, honeysuckle and kudzu with a recommended herbicide.
  • NOTE, spray only as needed, and follow all instructions on pesticide labels.

Lawn Care

  • Remember to change direction when moving your lawn. Travel north to south on one mowing and east to west on the next cutting.
  • Continue feeding your zoysia lawn with fertilizer. Do NOT give tall fescue or bluegrass lawns any fertilizer this month.
  • Maintain 3″ mowing height on fescue.

Propagation

  • This month is still a great time to take semi-hardwood cuttings of azaleas, holly, rhododendron and many other shrubs.
  • July is an ideal time to divide and transplant your iris and daylilies.

Specific Chores

  • July is a good month to see if and where your home can use some additional shade trees.
  • Blossom-end rot may be seen on tomatoes this month. Two factors – too little water and too little lime /calcium the soil – may be the reason.
  • In dry weather, both your vegetable garden and landscape plants will benefit from a good soaking watering. Slow watering will penetrate the root zone better. Apply 1″ of water early in the day.

From http://catawba.ces.ncsu.edu/calendar-2/