In the Garden: July Monthly guide for gardening tasks, forecasts, and more

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."
- Sam Keen

Fertilize: Give annuals a complete fertilizer. Water well before and after application. Deadhead and fertilize roses. Fertilize young fruit trees (except pears) with a 3-1-2 ratio product at 1-2 cups per inch of trunk diameter.

Water: Water all planted areas deeply but infrequently during dry periods. Outdoor container plants need daily watering. Consider landscaping with drought resistant native plants in the future.

Soil: Mulch all bare soil. Turn compost pile and add new ingredients. Clean up spring vegetable gardens and replenish with compost.

Lawn Care: Mow every 5-7 days and leave the clippings on the lawn. Watch for take-all patch. Set mower higher in shady areas to promote denser turf.

Diseases/Pests to Look for:

spider mites, leaf rollers, lacebugs and aphids, chinch bugs, fleas, ticks, chiggers and grubs in lawns;

scale insects on euonymus, hollies, peaches and plums;

webworms in pecans and persimmons;

powdery mildew on crape myrtles and roses;

aphids on crape myrtle, roses and Mexican milkweed;

scale on peaches and plums.

Remove any diseased leaves from beds; do not add to compost.

Prune: Remove vigorous growth from center of peach and plum trees to prevent shading of fruiting shoots. Tip new blackberry canes at 4� to force side branches. Prune dead and damaged wood from trees and shrubs as needed.

Things To Plant In July:

Flower Plants:
ageratum, ajuga, alpine aster, balsam, blue daze, boltonia, cockscomb, silver dollar plant, periwinkle, portulaca, purslane, gloriosa daisy, mexican bush sage, sedum, stoke's aster, wax begonia, wishbone flower, vinca, zinnia

Flower Seeds:
ageratum, balsam, castor bean, cleome, cockscomb, cosmos, four-o'clock, gaillardia, impatiens, marigold, moonflower, morning glory, periwinkle, portulaca, tithonia, torenia, vinca, zinnia

Bulbs:
autumn crocus, liriope, lycoris, monkey grass