JULY
Garden essentials:
- Plan for fall flowers. Some annual seeds, such as cosmos, sown in early July, will bloom in September.
- Fertilize container gardens regularly with a liquid food.
- Nip off dead flowers.
- Allow shrub roses to "ripen;" don't feed them after month's end.
Veggies year-round:
- Start transplants for later crops: fall broccoli and cabbage, and overwintered broccoli, kale and onions.
- Sow seeds of carrots, peas and rutabagas by mid-July.
- Harvest beans, cucumbers and squash promptly for best flavor and production.
Lawn care:
- Water deeply, or let lawn go dormant and water just once a month.
- Mow regularly to prevent weed seed spread.
- Avoid using fertilizers in hot, dry weather.
