~ July Lawn & Garden ~

Rainfall is scarce in July, and soaring temperatures can cause your garden and lawn to slow down and conserve energy. Vegetable gardens kick into high gear and will need some extra attention to stay happy. Other plants in your garden can benefit from special treatment as well. Here are some tips for your lawn and garden during the month of July.

Lawns
•Continue mowing as needed, at the highest setting for your lawn type (3”- 4” for cool-season grasses, 2”- 3” for
warm-season grasses).
•Make sure your lawn gets at least one inch of water per week.
•If water is scarce, consider allowing cool-season fescue or bluegrass to go dormant for the summer.
•Mulch grass clippings to help shade, cool, and feed your lawn.
•Edge planting beds with a string trimmer or lawn edger, for a nice clean look.
•Plant warm-season grasses and keep watered.
•Stop fertilizing lawns in midsummer.
•Make sure lawn mower blades are sharp, so they cut cleanly.
•Check out our Summer Lawn Care Guide for more tips.

Vegetables and Herbs
•Remove garlic scapes (flower heads) to encourage bulb growth.
•Order garlic bulbs for fall planting.
•Add compost or organic fertilizer to vegetable gardens.
•Harvest veggies. Give away any produce you can’t use, and remove plants that have finished producing.
•Continue weeding, watering, and removing insects.
•Start seeds for cool-season fall vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and spinach.
•Give herbs a haircut, and use the cuttings.
•For maximum flavor, harvest herbs just as the flower buds appear. Shear back annual herbs (such as basil) to encourage a second harvest.
•Mulch sprawling plants to keep vegetables off the ground.
•Harvest berries before birds and squirrels eat them.
•Remove and discard fallen fruits and vegetables.
•Harvest corn when the tassels turn brown and the kernels are full and milky.
•Harvest melons when they slip easily from the vine.
•Give tomatoes extra water, and perhaps a little shade, when temperatures are over 90° F.

Kind Regards,
Tibor Bogdan