The Garden Checklist for July

By Janine Salvatti 

Master Gardener 2019

 

Well, summer is now in full swing. I don’t know about you, but despite knowing it’s coming, it always surprises me to see it barrel in loud and rambunctious. And while dealing with all this rambunctiousness, we need to remember that we have roughly 100 days until the first frost for any crops we are planting.

From the Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley:

Direct seed: Amaranth, beans, beets, carrots, collard, dill endive, escarole, Florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, rutabaga, scallions, Swiss chard.

Sow for transplanting: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage pak choi, radicchio.

Adjust watering: Blackberries require 1” of water per week. Blueberries need constant moisture, especially during fruiting. Peppers – spray with a solution of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) mixed 4 TBSP per gallon of water to make them crisper and sweeter. Reduce water to potatoes when vines start to die back.

Fertilize established asparagus beds and check / control asparagus beetles. After cane berries have finished production, prune vines that bore fruit to the ground. Do not compost, instead burn or trash.

General for ornamentals:

Pest and disease control measures should be in high gear now. The honeymoon of early spring when our gardens were nearly pristine is over. It’s hard to keep up with the various wildlife, bugs, and bacteria/viruses out to get our prize veggies and ornamentals.

If you don’t have one already, try one of the bug ID apps for your phone or computer.

Potted and hanging plants need a regular watering schedule and a weekly fertilizer program throughout the season to keep the flower show going.

Regular deadheading is required for most flowering plants to encourage vigor and a long bloom season. Carefully deadhead rhodies and azaleas so as not to damage the flower buds for next year. They are ready for a good organic feed right after blooming.

Prune out dead, diseased, crossing branches on your shrubs and trees any time of year.

It’s not too late to mulch to conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temps.

Play time ideas for gardeners: Invite a friend over for a yard visit (with social distancing or masks!) to enjoy your garden, write in your garden journal, draw or paint your garden, photograph your flowers, bring your ukulele out and serenade your garden, eat breakfast outside, phone a gardening friend, or swap gardening magazines or books with friends to inspire your creative juices! Just enjoy your garden!

Resources:

www.extension.oregonstate.edu

Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley