July 2024
July is the peak month of bloom for many perennial gardens in our region. Let’s pray we get more rain than we did last month though to sustain all those blooms. June is normally the second wettest month of the year in Cincinnati, with 4.17 inches of rain, but this year we only had 0.8 inches, making it the second driest June in the last 100 years! It’s hard to have a pretty perennial garden in our climate with that meager amount of water. I have been watering my gardens about every three days during this drought period. I hope you’re able to keep up with the watering in your space. In addition to watering, check out the other July garden tasks below.
July Garden Tasks
Water, water, water - especially if we have dry conditions like we did in June. Many of your flowers are now in peak bloom and require a lot of water to keep them hydrated and looking good. Water in the early morning if you can, so the leaves have time to dry off in the Sun. Watering in the evening can leave moisture on the leaves overnight, which can lead to fungal problems on the foliage.
Cut back early flowering perennials like Coreopsis, Salvia, and hardy Geraniums. This pruning will encourage new growth and potentially a second flush of blooms.
Start staking your tall, late Summer blooming plants, like Dahlias and Crocosmia. The heat of July will lead to a lot of new growth on these plants and a strong summer thunderstorm can topple them, leaving your garden a mess. Place several tall sticks or thin stakes around the plant and loosely tie them together around the plant. Try to avoid tying too tightly and making your plant look like a hostage.
Feed containers - The slow release fertilizer you put in your containers when you planted them has been mostly used up by now. You will need to start feeding them with a balanced liquid fertilizer to keep them growing and producing flowers. I recommend using an organic fish and kelp mix for those containers that have a mix of flowers and foliage plants. If you have a container with flowers like petunias, which are really heavy feeders and produce lots and lots of flowers, you may want to try something a little stronger like Proven Winners water soluble plant food. Always remember to water your containers before you fertilize them. If the soil is dry, the fertilizer solution may run right through the pot.
Take reference photos. I like to take photos of the garden while it is at peak bloom. During the winter months when I am planning next year’s garden, I like to reference the photos to see what did well and what did not. It’s also helpful as you try to remember which plants are planted where and if they need to be moved.
Create a bouquet from your garden. You’ve worked hard all spring and summer to have a beautiful space, so why not enjoy a small slice of that inside your home. Remember to cut the stems at an angle, so they are able to soak up more water. Remember also to remove any leaves from the stems, so they are not sitting in the water. The rotting leaves in water will decrease the vase life of your flowers.
July Garden Tip - Garden Pests
As your gardens continue to grow, it is likely you are starting to notice more insects, which can be concerning. It’s important to remember however that there are bad bugs (the ones that eat your plants) and good bugs (the ones that eat the bad bugs). Before you think about rushing out to buy insecticides or pesticides, consider the following:
Learn to distinguish the good bugs (see photos below of a praying mantis, a ladybug, a green lacewing, and a hoverfly). These bugs do not eat your plants. They are feeding on the bad bugs, like aphids (yellow bugs pictured below on my Milkweed), mealybugs, thrips, scale, and mites.
If you see an infestation of bad bugs, first try spraying them off with your garden hose. Knocking them to the ground will give the good bugs more time to find them before they harm your plants. We now have lizards in our garden and they also eat the bad bugs that have been knocked to the ground.
If you are unable to knock off the bugs with a hose or if they return after being knocked down, use an organic product like insecticidal soap (you can make you own at home) or Neem Oil (both pictured below). These products will take care of soft bodied insects like aphids and are far less hazardous to other insects and the environment than stronger pesticides or insecticides. I find that if you leave a few of the bad bugs, you will attract the good bugs and achieve an overall bug harmony in your garden. They will also provide a food source for the songbirds you are trying to attract to your garden.
