Early to Mid-July
It's time to. . .
- Fertilize strawberry plants with 21-0-0 fertilizer when the harvest is finished.
- Side-dress long season crops with 5-10-5 or other balanced fertilizer.
- Harvest early cabbage varieties before the heads burst open!
- Pick herbs with sharp scissors in the early morning. Cut them often to promote more growth, and do it before they flower.
- Water the lawn 2 to 2-1/4 inches per week through this month if the weather is hot and dry.
- Continue mowing, as needed, to keep the height 2 -1/2 to 3 inches.
- Check the soil moisture level around recently planted trees and shrubs. Water them thoroughly if the soil is dry.
- Keep about four inches of mulch around the planting area to hold the moisture.
- Check the top and outer leaves of trees and shrubs for drought injury: brown or tan scorch on broad leaves and brown needles or dead tips on conifers.
- Check the bottom and inside leaves for over-watering: faded color between the veins and dropping leaves or needles. CSU Fact sheet 2.932 tells more about drought and over-watering.
- Cut flowers for indoor bouquets. They’ll keep best if picked in early morning.
- Keep deadheading to keep the garden neat and flowers blooming.
Mid to Late July
It’s time to. . .
- Be patient with peppers and tomatoes. When the temperature is over 90o they won’t set fruit.
- Keep the soil moisture even around tomato plants to prevent the fruit from cracking.
- Plant beets, bush beans, escarole, kale, collards, lettuce, radish, turnip, chard, and spinach for a fall harvest.
- Gather herb seeds by tying a piece of cheesecloth over the seed head to catch seeds as they fall.
- Stop fertilizing perennials.
- Divide iris that are crowded or did not bloom well. Cut them apart and discard old, large or diseased rhizomes.
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