July To-Do’s

I have an ornamental  hedgehog sitting outside my  back door, holding a test  tube which measures water.  I know what my plants have  actually received in the way  of water. With our overcast  skies and misty rains, it is  easy to believe plants in the  garden have had enough  water when they have not.  A tuna can would work the  same.  On July’s to do list,  watering is top. Early mornings  give the biggest bang  for your watering buck. We  aerated our lawns this year  for better air and water  access by lawn roots.

Infrequent, deep watering on  lawns and perennial beds is  best. Hanging baskets need  food. Soak a minimum of  once daily. Monitor your  vegetable beds by digging.  See if water has come as  deep as your vegetable  roots. Plant now your fall  and winter vegetable seeds,  such as carrots, beets, kale,  and rutabagas. Mulch on  many perennials, edible and  ornamental, helps cut down  water loss. The objective in  watering many plants is to  get the roots to grow deeper,  where water losses will be  less.  Pest alert is high. Try  sticky stuff and traps on  trunks of fruit trees and  ornamentals, barriers like  toilet paper tubes on collar  bases of things like broccoli,  hand-pick caterpillars and  cutworms, when you can.

By using the least toxic  methods of control, you give  your environment the  strongest boosts for our  future.

Hand wash and hand  pick diseased foliage. Peach,  prune, apple and pear trees  will need to be sprayed this  month. Keep in mind that  sprays can harm our dwindling  bee populations, and  should be used only in nonwind,  cautioned use that  protects surrounding critters  such as bees.

Vegetables are better  picked while small. Weeds  also are better picked when  small. Invite over some  friends. They plant well in  the garden.