Gardening And More

  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 bushiness and more flower production. Plant sun and heat tolerant annuals. Tropicals are a good choice because the plants now how to beat the summer heat and tropicals will reward you with lots of blooms and color. 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 prod...