Wednesday, July 13, 2011

July Gardening Calendar

July Gardening Calendar

Watermelon – Choosing a summer watermelon for ripeness is as simple as slapping or knocking on it. The good ripe ones sound hollow, and the unripe ones sound like solid wood.

Flowering annuals and perennials – Such as Salvia, Zinnia, Coneflower, and Petunia, remove faded flowers to encourage business and more flower production.

Dahlias – The last week in July trim your plants back by half of their height to produce fall blooms. Fertilize with a flowering plant food.

Pink and Blue Hydrangeas – Remove faded flower stems. Trim shorten droopy, flowerless stems by 1/3. New growth that occurs now through winter will produce next summer’s blooms.

Herbs – Now is a good time to trim back Basil, Mint, and Oregano by half to prevent flowering and seed production. This will produce tastier leaves. With every Mint plant purchased at Hibiscus and More comes with an herbal ice mint tea recipe. Click To Order Herbs.

Summer Vegetables – Just one over ripe cucumber, squash, or okra left on the plant will stop flower production. Pick your summer vegetables on a regular basis to prevent this.

Houseplants – Check plants that are spending the summer outdoors for insects. Use an insecticidal soap, if needed. Your houseplants can be fertilized by weekly with a water-soluble plant food. Hibiscus and More has a wonderful selection of houseplants. Click To Order Houseplants.

Trees and Shrubs – Newly spring planted trees and shrubs should be watered 2 gallons of water per foot of plant height.

Figs – Remove the tallest shoots in the middle first, then prune the rest of the fig lightly. The horizontal branches produce the best fruit.

Hibiscus Plants – Should be fertilized monthly with a Hibiscus Fertilizer with a hibiscus fertilizer.

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