|
Written by Sylvia Henthorn
|
| Annuals |
Spray with fungicide at the first sign of mildew, follow instructions regarding repeat treatment. Start seeds for biennials. |
| Bulbs |
Order now for fall planting, before they run out of your first choices. Try some new catalogs – you can get addresses from gardening magazines. Remember, a lot of bulbs mean a lot of digging. |
| General |
Summer months require more watering. Applying water at the ground level minimizes evaporation and prevents disease. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are efficient. If using sprinklers, water early in the day to minimize evaporation and allow time for leaves to dry. Avoid letting plants wilt. Water deeply if soil is dry a few inches beneath the surface. Water pots until water drains out of the holes. Container plants always dry out more rapidly, often needing daily watering. Keep new transplants well watered until established. |
| Herbs |
Keep pinching back flowering herbs like basil to prevent them from flowering and going to seed. Dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme dry well. Chervil, cilantro, parsley, and tarragon are better frozen. Try using herbs in flavored oils and vinegars. |
| Lawns |
To prevent silting and drought stress, wet the soil to a depth of 4-6” every five to seven days. Hold back fertilizer during July and August. Grass should not be closely cut in hot, dry weather. Raise your mower blade this month. |
| Perennials |
For specimen blooms, give mums an additional feeding of one-third cup commercial fertilizer 6-12-12 about July 15th and water well. Spray phlox with fungicide. Deadhead. |
| Roses |
Increase the interval between black spot sprays. Watch for spider mites. Water-soluble fertilizers are recommended during hot weather. Water, water, water. |
| Trees/Shrubs |
Check evergreens for scale and bagworms. Those planted this year need ample water. Think about fall planting. |
| Vegetables |
I hope by now you are harvesting. Pick promptly for peak flavor and before the insects get the ripe ones. Plan your fall planting. Check out the local farmers’ markets – Bentonville, Rogers, and Fayetteville. |
| Hint: |
The dog days of summer are July 3rd to August 11th. The Greeks, Romans and Egyptians believe that Sirius, the dog star, added it’s heat to that of the sun, causing the hot weather. Dog days and not particularly advantageous to either plants or other living creatures. The keys to successful plant survival this month are watering, mulching and diligent deadheading. |
|
Forget Me Knots 