summer

1. continue to plant container plants

 

2. sow biennials (dianthus, hollyhock, foxglove, pansy) in flats for flowering next year.

 

3. plant out cool season vegetables

 

4. prune and thin out major shade trees to increase light and improve air circulation

 

5. prune deciduous and evergreen hedges

 

6. prune climbing roses (after bloom)

 

7. now is a good time to fertilize flowering evergreen shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons

 

8. continue to fertilize roses (monthly)

 

9. take a pinch and fertilize hardy mums

 

10. fertilize annuals and container plants weekly

 

11. Continue to deadhead perennials, roses and annuals for continuous bloom.

 

12. keep your vegetable beds watered well and mulch in to prevent moisture loss and weeds

 

13. mow lawns at a height of at least 3 inches, or 1/2 inch higher than usual during the heat of the summer

 

14. wait on planting bare root, or balled and burlapped plants until the fall

 

15. keep newly established plants well watered during the heat of the summer

 

16. cut back early season perennials such as dicentra, doronicum and poppy as foliage fades

 

17. consider planting thorny plants beneath windows, around basement windows for protection

 

18. plant our hardy mums, asters and pansies for fall color

 

19. sow out cool season vegetables

 

20. late summer is the perfect time to seed new lawns, or reseed bare spots

 

21. cut back early perennials and annuals such as pansies, impatiens for rebloom

 

22. apply a mid-summer application of pre-emergent weed control in the garden bed

 

23. late summer is a great time to dethatch and aerate your lawn

 

24. great time to take cuttings to propogate perennials

 

25. remove browned out bulb foliage

 

26. protect fruits from birds

 

27. take a few minutes each day to keep weeds under control

 

28. harvest herb seeds and leaves such as basil, coriander and parsley

 

29. harvest vegetables and fruits when ripe

 

30. water your garden so that your plants receive at least 1 and 1/2 inches of rainfall per week

 

31. Give Asters, Dahlias and any scraggly summer flowers a trim early this month to keep them compact for fall's show of flowers.

 

32. Holes starting to appear in your annual garden? Fill them up quickly with fresh plants like fast growing marigolds, zinnias and asters.

 

33. Mature cans of bramble fruit such as raspberries and blackberries that have finished producing should be pruned to encourage new growth.

 

34. If you have suckers growing off of your mature tomato plants, pull some of them off at the base near the trunk and root them! Place small sucker plants in moist potting soil in a lightly shaded area and keep watered. In just a few weeks, you will have new baby tomato plants in time for a fall planting.

 

35. Got slugs? Place wide wooden boards in various spots in and around the garden. Slugs will go under there to hide during the day.