THE GLORY OF GARDENING: HANDS IN THE DIRT, HEAD IN THE SUN, HEART WITH NATURE!
Thank goodness for all the rainfall we got in late June. This rain was much needed because we were starting to get dry. At this moment, we have no fear of any water restrictions placed upon us because our ground soil is moist, and our rivers, streams, and reservoirs are full. But July can be a different story when it comes to rainfall. Let’s hope not.
July can be a trying time for gardeners because of the heat and humidity. We can change our routine and do our gardening chores earlier in the morning before the heat and humidity set in. I’m a senior and see myself getting wiser with gardening as I get older. I do get out early. Most of the time, my gardening chore is watering. Watering in the morning is WATER WISE: watering in the early morning reduces evaporation loss. And be sure to water thoroughly and deeply. This will encourage roots to grow deeper into the soil, leading to a greater tolerance to dry spells.
July Gardening Checklist
- SUCCESSION VEGETABLE GARDENING: Replant beans, beets, sweet corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables in July for a late-season crop.
- CONTAINER GARDENS: Be sure to watch for watering needs with container gardens, especially with blooming annuals. July is a good month to give your container gardens a feeding.
- LAWN MOWING: During the hot July weather, mow your lawn to the appropriate height—about 3 to 4 inches. This height helps reduce water loss and helps lower soil temperatures. Leave grass clippings on the lawn to decompose. Decomposed grass clippings add nitrogen back into the soil.
- COOL SEASON LAWNS: Do not fertilize tall fescue lawns this time of year. Our cool-season grass is going dormant for the summer. September will be the month to start revitalizing our lawns.
- WEEDING: Keep up with controlling weeds. Don’t let summer weeds go to seed. I love spending time outside and hand-pulling weeds. I use no herbicides this way. Plus, it gives me something to do outside. Bending over and moving around is good exercise.
Plant a little happiness in July!!!!!!!!!!!!!