This gardening advice first appeared in The Citizen in 2014 but Jos Van Hage's wisdom never gets old:
Here are some tips to help maintain your garden in July:
Fertilize the lawn. It is time for the second application of fertilizer. Most lawns that were fertilized in May should be fertilized again. Use a good quality, slow release fertilizer that has the added minerals in it, such as 24-4-16
Vegetable gardens and flowerbeds could benefit from a second application of fertilizer. Use a fertilizer that has a high middle number (phosphorus). Phosphorus helps in root development as well as increase flowers and fruit production. 8-20-20 is a good granular fertilizer for flowers and vegetables.
Trees and shrubs that were fertilized in May can also be fertilized for a second time this season. Use a tree/shrub fertilizer such as 18-4-8. The nitrogen (first number) is higher as this is what promotes lots of new foliage.
Container gardens and hanging baskets are really filling out and need to be fertilized weekly. I prefer to use a water soluble fertilizer such as 12-36-12. It is mixed with water, following the instructions given on the container, and then put in the watering can or a hose end fertilizer applicator.
Remove the finished flowers (deadhead) to keep flowering plants healthy and tidy looking. The finished flowers should be removed before they start setting seed, as this takes energy away from the plant. This is done on annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs. Removing the finished flowers will also keep plants looking neat, and will prevent mildew or mold which can happen when the flowers begin to decay.
Early blooming flowering shrubs that are not pruned in the spring should be pruned right after they finish blooming. These are the flowering shrubs that bloom on old wood (previous years growth). If these were pruned in the spring, many of the future flowers would be removed.
Mid summer is a good time to shear back evergreens such as cedars. The new growth is sheared back to keep the tree/shrub even shaped and full looking.
Keep up on the watering, especially on plant material that is newly planted and container gardens. The recent rain has been good but the soil is very dry from the past 2-3 weeks of hot dry weather. Container gardens and hanging baskets should be watered daily. Vegetable gardens and flowerbeds benefit from a good long water every few days (when its needed) rather then short daily water times. By watering for a longer period of time the water goes down deeper and makes the roots of the plant go deeper which in the long term is better. If possible, try to water in the morning, rather then in the evening so that the plants' foliage is dry over night when temperatures are cool. Cool temperatures and wet foliage can cause mold and mildew.
Everything has been growing well, including the weeds. Keep up on the weeding. It is much easier to go through the garden every 10-14 days to remove the weeds when they are small. Weeds take away important moisture and nutrients from the wanted plants as well as harbour pests and disease.
