by Gary Crispell

2020, the year of COVID-19, quarantine, ubiquitous face masks and toppling Civil War monuments. “The times they are a changin’.”  (Thank you, Bob.)

Speaking of changing; Wasn’t June fun in the garden? There was weather to suit almost everybody. (All you snow lovers ain’t ever going to be happy here, so get over it.) We had dry & cool, and dry & hot, and wet & hot, and wet & cool, and wet & wet (though never wet & dry). In between all of those were some really nice days which if you didn’t blink you could have enjoyed.

My “Accidental Cottage Garden” is looking like … well, an accidental cottage garden. The many-hued season has given way to the yellow and violet season. There are coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata & C. verticilata), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida), prairie cornflower (R. hirta) and a spreading chrysanthemum that blooms nearly all summer (and is yet to be identified by me) all screaming yellow.  The violet is provided by liatris (Liatris spicata), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Stoke’s aster (Stoksia leavis), balloon flower (Platycodon grandifloris) and some lingering cornflowers (Centaurea montana). A couple of counterpoints have just bloomed, butterfly weed (Asclepeis tuberosa) and a variety of Asiatic lily (Lilium x ‘Corsica’). The Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’)  is fixin’ to bust out, but the Knockout rose has succumbed to the ravages of voles. There appears to be something new every day.

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Oh! I almost forgot. Y’all came here looking for a calendar of stuff to do in July in the garden. Just for you, here ‘tis.

Lawn Care
Fertilize warm season grasses (Bermuda, Zoysia and St. Augustine) if you haven’t already.

When mowing these lawns remove one-third of the growth.

Change directions with each mowing to strengthen root systems and expose different side of the blades of grass to sunlight.

Fertilizing
Continue side-dressing your vegetable garden plants.

July is the last time to fertilize landscape plants until next year.

This is an excellent time to take soil samples especially from your lawn. Sample boxes and instructions can be obtained from the extension office. It is a FREE service until mid-November.

Planting
Veggies that can still be planted include Brussels sprouts, collards, beans, carrots, tomatoes* and pumpkins.

Get ready for the fall garden by starting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower plants to be transplanted in mid-August.

This is also a good time to transplant overgrown houseplants.

Pruning
“Bleeder” trees like maple, dogwood, birch and elm can be pruned this month.

Overgrown hedges can be pruned.

Keep garden mums pinched until mid-month.

Coniferous evergreens (they make cones with seeds in them) can be pruned.

Raspberry and blackberry fruiting canes can be cut to the ground following harvest.

Remove faded blooms on perennials to encourage a second blooming. (Or let them go to seed and feed the birds.)

Rhododendrons, azaleas – I know that’s redundant – and blueberries can have the dieback removed.

Spraying
Insects to be watchful for include bag worms, leaf miners, aphids, spider mites and lace bugs. Oh, yeah.  Japanese beetles, duh.

Watch tomatoes* for signs of blight and spray as necessary.

Continue with rose program.

Also continue fungicide program for bunch grapes and fruit trees.

Vegetable pests to be on the lookout for:  cucumber beetle (cucumber, ironically enough), flea beetle (tomato, eggplant and beans) and aphids (everything).

Only use pesticides when necessary and ALWAYS follow the label instructions.

Not too many extra things to do this month unless you want to build cold frames and greenhouses to be ready for next winter. I recommend you kick back on the deck in the evening with a cool beverage and enjoy summer in this the “goodliest state.” 

*Speaking of tomatoes, visit our Tomato Grafting Project page for an update about this special project! Learn more