Laidback Gardening: What to Do in July

I can remember the days when I was a market gardener. Early summer always offered a welcome break from field work. Transplanting and sowing were finished, but the big harvest period had not yet begun. A few days’ well-deserved rest were in order.

Now I’m much more laidback. Yet May and June are still the busiest months of the year. Once this period is over, I watch my garden grow quietly, removing a weed here and there as I go. Fortunately, I’ve mulched wherever necessary. My drip irrigation system ensures that my potted garden on the terrace never runs out of water, even when I’m away on vacation for several weeks. I also use compost and a slow-dissolving fertilizer that is released over the course of the season without any intervention on my part.

It’s time to make the most of our all-too-short summer and spend time with our loved ones. The harvest will come soon enough, and summer always ends too soon!

Vegetable Garden

• Successive sowing: Sow a succession of fast-growing vegetables and herbs (radishes, lettuce, spinach, coriander, etc.) in the spaces left after harvesting.
• Weedy herbs: Herbs such as dill, anise, borage, chervil, coriander and lemon balm can become invasive. Remove wilted flowers to prevent them from reseeding everywhere, or don’t, and you’ll be in for a tasty surprise the following year!
• Tomatoes: Tie tomato stems to their stakes as they grow. For tomatoes grown in cages, return any protruding stems to the inside of the cage only.
• Harvesting herbs: Harvest and store herb leaves when flower buds appear. That’s when they taste best.
• Pollination of cucurbits: For cucurbits, use a cotton bud or brush to transfer pollen from a male flower to a female flower. A simple solution for better pollination.
• Harvesting leafy vegetables: Harvest only the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. This prolongs the harvest.

Ornamental Plants

• Dead flowers: Deadheading annuals and perennials is not necessary, but you can do it to increase flowering. Don’t forget that many of them will produce seeds that will feed birds.
• Staking perennials: Stake large perennials to keep them upright and elegant, or replace them with low-maintenance plants.

Lawn

• Lawns in heatwaves: Avoid trampling and mowing grass during heatwaves. Let it grow taller (8 to 10 cm, 3-4 inches) to protect the roots. Don’t worry if it turns yellow – it’s only dormant. There’s no need to water it unless there’s a drought lasting several weeks.

Watering

• Tomatoes: Never let your tomatoes run out of water, or they may split. Keep the soil evenly moist.
• Vegetable garden: Check the condition of the soil and water well when it starts to dry out. The hotter the weather, the more frequently you need to water. Soil in window boxes dries out even more quickly, requiring extra attention. I love my drip irrigation system.
• Municipal restrictions: Respect your municipality’s watering restrictions.
• Soil moistening: To prevent foliar diseases, try to water your plants without wetting their foliage. Soaker hoses water at ground level!

Pots and Containers

• Fertilization: Remember that plants in window boxes require more fertilizer than those in the ground. I prefer slow-dissolving fertilizers to water-soluble ones. One or two applications during the summer are sufficient.
• Watering before vacation: Place your planters in the shade and water them abundantly before leaving on vacation. Rain will take over…hopefully.

Parasites

• Cucumber beetle: If you see beetles on your cucumbers or squash, drop them into a bowl of soapy water. You can also pick them up with a portable vacuum cleaner or spray them with insecticidal soap.
• Powdery mildew: Slow down powdery mildew by spraying with a solution of baking soda (1 tsp. in 1 liter of water or quart).
• Berry protection: Install protective netting over berries to protect them from birds and chipmunks.
• Aphids and red spiders: Chase them away with a strong jet of water.
• Weed control: Remove weeds and mulch to prevent new ones from growing.

Fauna

• Hummingbird feeder nectar: Change the nectar in the hummingbird feeders every week, or every three days in hot weather. This prevents contamination.

What are you doing in your garden in July? Let us know so we can keep improving the Laidback Gardener’s Calendar!