July

Plant

• Annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees in containers can be planted as long as you water them well.
• Sow cool season biennials and perennials in flats to set out in fall. Keep moist and shaded.
• Sow seeds for Spring wildflower meadows: scatter on ground and rake lightly.
• Sow cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds in flats for fall planting. ​

Prune

• Remove dead, diseased wood and water sprouts from spring blooming trees.
• Finish pruning spring blooming shrubs. To rejuvenate them, remove 1/3 of the old wood.
• Watch for die-back on rhododendrons and camellias. Prune the branch cack to healthy wood.
• Wisteria: (mature) cut back side-shoots to 1ft. or 5-6 buds. Continue to tie main side-shoots horizontally and cut them back when the space is filled.

Water

• Flower beds, shrubs, and trees: water deeply once/week if there has not been 1" of rain. Water in early morning to prevent fungus and mildew.
• Azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias are forming next year's flower buds now. They need to be well watered or the buds and leaves will fall off.

Chores

• Set lawn mower blades at 3" to provide shade for grass roots.
• Pinch asters anad chrysanthemums for the last time July 4.
• Continue to deadhead faded blooms.
• Annuals: shear back to half their height.
• Daylilies and bearded iris can be divided now.
• Hostas: the best time to divide is after they bloom.
• Roses: continue to spray with organic fungicide.
• Dahlias: be sure to stake and continue to pinch until August 1.
• Ornamental Cherries: respray trunk and branch crotches with dormant oil in early July.
• Spray lilac, phlox, monarda, and zinnias, using dormant oil,  for powdery mildew.
• Order: bulbs, trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, fruit trees, and berries now for fall planting.
• Propogate: now is the time to take semi-hardwood cuttings of shrubs and softwood cuttings of houseplants, vines, herbs, and ground covers.

Tips

• Protect plants in containers from very high heat caused by reflection from pavement. Move them to a cooler spot or shade them during the hottest part of the season.

Plant Pests​
Watch for:
Aphids
Box Elder Bugs
Fall Webworms
Japanese Beetles
Orange Striped Oakworms
Spider Mites

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Thanks to Suzanne Aiello who compiled these tips for the Dolley Madison Garden Club.