What to tackle in the garden this month to keep your garden looking its best
Fertilize (again) - your plants are likely struggling to recover from all the hail and cool weather. Fertilize every other week this month to keep them strong and help with nutrients while they work to grow.
Audit your watering system - some gardeners experienced hail damage to their irrigation nozzles. Check all of your watering sources to make sure they are in tip top shape for the heat still to come.
Mow the lawn high - in the hottest months of the year the lawn will be green and healthy if you keep the grass blades about 3 inches long. This helps to cool the soil and prevents the blades from drying out.
Deadhead, deadhead, deadhead - this is your mantra this month. Every plant that blooms will reward you with even more blooms if you snip off the dead and dying flowers regularly.
Give patio furniture a good scrub and clean up outdoor areas - the rain and hail made a mess of everything, and cleanup has been ongoing. Turn your attention to your outdoor sitting areas this month to get rid of muck in and around furniture. Remove any sources of standing water to keep pests and mold away. Refresh water in the birdbath. Paint or stain furniture as needed to make your outdoors look as clean and spiffy as your indoors.
Weed - Especially important due to all the moisture we've received. Plants can't grow adequately if weeds are crowding them and taking important nutrients needed by the plants. A fifteen minute weeding session every day goes a long way towards eradicating weeds from planting areas.
Cut back petunias - These popular annuals are quick to get 'leggy' looking. Prevent this and encourage an whole new round of blooms by trimming the petunias back by a third to one-half, then fertilize.
Stake tall or floppy plants.
Watch for pests and remove promptly - You don't want an infestation and hail-damaged plants will be more susceptible to disease and pests. Pick off by hand or use an appropriate insecticide.
Go plant shopping! If perennials from last year didn't show this year or are doing especially poorly, they probably aren't going to appear to do very well in the garden long-term. Replace lost plants.
Pansies may start drooping - Pansies do so well in our area, but they don't look their best in the heat of summer. Consider replacing them with something that tolerates heat.
Plan for fall - Start planning and preparing for your fall garden. Cool weather crops like snap peas, beets, carrots, kale, turnips, and lettuce all do well in cooler temps.
Audit your watering system - some gardeners experienced hail damage to their irrigation nozzles. Check all of your watering sources to make sure they are in tip top shape for the heat still to come.
Mow the lawn high - in the hottest months of the year the lawn will be green and healthy if you keep the grass blades about 3 inches long. This helps to cool the soil and prevents the blades from drying out.
Deadhead, deadhead, deadhead - this is your mantra this month. Every plant that blooms will reward you with even more blooms if you snip off the dead and dying flowers regularly.
Give patio furniture a good scrub and clean up outdoor areas - the rain and hail made a mess of everything, and cleanup has been ongoing. Turn your attention to your outdoor sitting areas this month to get rid of muck in and around furniture. Remove any sources of standing water to keep pests and mold away. Refresh water in the birdbath. Paint or stain furniture as needed to make your outdoors look as clean and spiffy as your indoors.
Weed - Especially important due to all the moisture we've received. Plants can't grow adequately if weeds are crowding them and taking important nutrients needed by the plants. A fifteen minute weeding session every day goes a long way towards eradicating weeds from planting areas.
Cut back petunias - These popular annuals are quick to get 'leggy' looking. Prevent this and encourage an whole new round of blooms by trimming the petunias back by a third to one-half, then fertilize.
Stake tall or floppy plants.
Watch for pests and remove promptly - You don't want an infestation and hail-damaged plants will be more susceptible to disease and pests. Pick off by hand or use an appropriate insecticide.
Go plant shopping! If perennials from last year didn't show this year or are doing especially poorly, they probably aren't going to appear to do very well in the garden long-term. Replace lost plants.
Pansies may start drooping - Pansies do so well in our area, but they don't look their best in the heat of summer. Consider replacing them with something that tolerates heat.
Plan for fall - Start planning and preparing for your fall garden. Cool weather crops like snap peas, beets, carrots, kale, turnips, and lettuce all do well in cooler temps.