July To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

• Succulents
• Container plants

Plant: food crops

• Okra, eggplant, peppers, corn sweet potato slips, pumpkin, summer & winter squash, watermelon
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

• OKAY to prune red oaks and live oaks until February. Spray immediately with clear varnish.
• No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
• Dead head flowering plants
• Last chance to cut back fall blooming perennials (like aster) that are setting buds

Fertilize

• Foliar feed flowers and vegetables with liquid seaweed
• Bougainvilla with high nitrogen
• Container annuals
• Citrus with high nitrogen fertilizer like Citrus-tone. Fertilize every few weeks through growing season.

Insects

• Watch for aphids and spider mites. It’s easy to spray them off with a hard blast of water. Be sure to get the undersides of the leaves.
• Aphids and other insects can plague crape myrtles and other trees in summer (“raining trees” are due to the honeydew secretions). Blast with water hose on regular basis.
• Aphids and other insects can create sooty mold on plants, a fungus that develops from their secretions (honeydew). Wash off the culprits and the leaves. Remove damaged leaves to the trash (not the compost pile).

Lawn

• Keep the lawn mower setting up to high. Keep the roots cool by leaving the grass long. Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the top at a time. Leave clippings on the lawn to naturally fertilize.

Prep

• Start planning the fall garden. Clean up debris in the vegetable garden. Late month, apply compost to future beds

Other tasks

• Solarize areas where you want to kill grass or weed pests for future planting
• Collect seeds from summer blooming plants. Clean off the chaff and let dry indoors. Store in jars, envelopes, or paper bags (not plastic) to plant next spring.
• Deeply water new plants. Even if rain comes, check the soil to 3” deep to make sure their roots have water. A brief shower doesn’t mean it penetrated to the roots.
• Keep a garden journal to note bloom times and insect habits.

Tips

• Prune herbs often to encourage new growth
• Water fruit and nut trees deeply to avoid fruit drop-off
• Avoid over-watering perennials and annuals in hot, humid conditions. To avoid root rot, check soil moisture. Water deeply and then let dry out.

Tips for all 12 months