July Garden Tasks to Keep Your Summer Garden Thriving

July is time for eating corn on the cob, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes . . . so many delicious crops to choose from!

Depending on your location, it may be time to plant some seeds indoors for your fall garden. Hard to believe!

Here are the main gardening tasks to do in July:

• Garden Journal. Write down harvest dates, pests, and temperatures. This will help with next year’s planning.

• Cover crops. When you remove dead plants, consider adding cover crops to help regenerate your soil.

• Add compost to beds. A new layer of compost can prep your soil for fall planting.

• Plant herbs. Keep the cilantro and basil coming to use with those heirloom tomatoes.

• Sow cool-weather crops. Start cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds indoors to transplant out for a fall garden.

• Direct sow seeds. Beans, cowpeas, and other crops can still be direct sown. 

• Deadhead flowers. Zinnias, cosmos, calendula, and other cut-and-come-again flowers will produce more blooms with deadheading.

• Prune. Herbs and perennials benefit from pruning, and you can reshape plants that have gotten out of hand.

• Weed control. Remove weeds before they go to seed and use weeding tools to make the job easier.

• Check soil moisture daily. Containers may need daily watering during July’s heat.

• Compost. Remember to use your garden waste and kitchen scraps to create better soil for next year.

• Pest patrol. Some of the most common July pests are squash vine borers, Japanese Beetles, and Aphids.

• Tomatoes, Peppers, and cucumbers. Be sure to pick them at their prime.

• Annual herbs. Cut and harvest herbs to keep them growing. It’s also the time to watch for bolting.

• Flower bouquets. Enjoy the flowers in your garden with bouquets. Cut blooms early in the morning before the heat of the day.

In warmer climates, some plants may be done for the season. Succession planting and shade cloths can help extend the harvest.

• Review your garden journal. Were there changes this year you need to take note of?

• Seed inventory. What favorites did you grow? What will you grow next season?

• Soil prep. Take advantage of the heat and solarize your garden beds for fall planting.

• Succession plant. Plants that keep producing in the heat, like beans, corn, and squash, can be direct sown. Sunflowers and zinnias are flowers that can be planted now.

• Start indoors those cooler-weather fall crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

• Water deeply and consistently , especially in dry or windy areas.

• Side-dress with compost or fertilizer to support rapid plant growth.

• Control pests. Be on the lookout for squash bugs and vine borers.

• Watermelon. Check the signs to know when your watermelon is ripe.

• Prune herbs. Basil, cilantro, and other herbs need regular pruning to keep them from going to seed.