With the reaching of July and hotter weather , many gardeners leave the garden to stand for itself . Unfortunately , this does n’t serve the harvest .
Although your planting may be done , to check effective yields you require to drop time in the garden to weewee , sens , and check for louse cuss . Some crop will benefit from a humble side dressing of nitrogen fertilizer as they start to go down fruit or part to grow apace , such as when cucurbit charge out vines .
annul applying high quantities of nitrogen . Sprinkling about a total of one pound of nitrogen along the craw rows is enough for every 1,000 square feet of garden . This amount of nitrogen is contain in about three pounds of ammonium nitrate , 33 - 0 - 0 , or in 10 pounds of a 4 - 3 - 4 organic fertilizer blend made fromcomposted chicken manure .
Piling on a thick layer of straw mulch or will help shorten the amount of weed require , and will help keep the stain moist during dry while . A landscape painting Master of Arts in Teaching can be used aroundperennial plantings . It will let water through but keep sess down .
Cover it with pale yellow , parting , or other organic , weed - free mulch as it may degenerate if exposed to sunlight . Mulch should not be used around perennial crops that ordinarily spread , however .
If using pesticides to curb July pests such as the Japanese beetle or Mexican bean plant beetle , always follow label guidance . employ only as much as you postulate and obviate applying in the mid - day estrus , on windy days , or whenplants are in flowerand bee are present .
If you want to revel invigorated vegetables throughout the fall , July is the time to plant fall crops including root harvest ( e.g. , beets , turnips ) ; leafy greens ( e.g. , spinach , lolly ) ; and cole crops ( for instance ,Brussels sprouts , broccoli ) . Just because these plants like cool weather , that does n’t mean they ca n’t get going and flourish in the heat of July and August if they are given consistent wet .
Whenwatering plants , be sure to water well . Activelygrowing veggie plantsneed at least a one - inch thick program program of water per week , either from natural rainfall or tearing . To prevent foliar disease , apply pee at once to the soil and avoid wetting the leaves of plants if possible .
If you pop out your own transplants , temper them off before transplanting . The tender plants need clock time to set to the smart light and wind conditions of summer . expose them to July ’s hot atmospheric condition too soon may result in leafage tan and wilting . Water well after transplantation and mulch with straw or leave to retain wet and keep the soil cooler .
When to embed depends on the harvest . Put your shekels family transplantation in the garden by mid - July . semen beet , turnips , and Swiss chard by the end of July , but wait until August to found lettuce , prickly-seeded spinach , and radish .
Many perennials descend into flower this month including a favourite of many Vermonters , the daylily . One nice thing about daylily is that they can be planted almost any time the soil can be worked . However , early spring and belated summer are the right time for transplant .
sic the crown ( where the stalk and ancestor juncture ) about one - one-half to one inch below the stain airfoil . set up the plant too deep may result in plants that are stunted and wanting vigor . industrial plant daylilies 18 to 24 inches apart .
Keep the lawn mop even though this is usually a metre when grass growth slows . If the atmospheric condition is juiceless , mow high , but less often .
The key is to only swerve one - third of the supergrass off at any mowing . cut too short , or cut too much of the Mary Jane off at one fourth dimension can reduce the power of grass to withstand drouth emphasis .
Other activities for July : prune spring bulb leaf as it go back ; deadhead annuals ( remove faded blossom ) ; recreate strawberry bed after harvest ; turn over the compost pile .
WATERING , WEEDING , AND OTHER JULY GARDENING TIPS
By Vern Grubinger and Dr. Leonard PerryExtension Nursery and Greenhouse Crops SpecialistUniversity of Vermont
