Even in the heat: Four ways to have a fabulous July garden

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 1, 2017

According to weather guru Rufus La Lone of the Weather Cafe, July is shaping up to be a very pleasant month for gardening. Here are four things we can do to make our gardens look absolutely fabulous.

Planting. The secret to successful summer planting is in how we water-in our new plants. Covering roots up with dry, powdery soil is a sure recipe for failure. For any plant in a gallon container or larger, I always dig a hole, fill it to the top with water and let it soak in before planting.

After the water has drained, I place the root ball into the hole, return half of the soil (with some organic fertilizer and compost), add some more water, and then return the rest of the soil. Once all of the soil is in place, tamp it down, form a watering well or basin around the plant and fill it with an inch of water at least three times. (For good measure, I often add a little liquid transplant solution to get the root system growing.)

This process ensures that there is plenty of moisture around those new, tender roots and usually eliminates any sign of “transplant shock.” For smaller plants, just make sure there is some moisture in the soil and, after planting, water the general area well.

Feeding. There is a term we use in the trade to describe how we feed our crops called “polishing.” It basically means tweaking our feed to get the crop to a point of maximum beauty. July is the consummate month to “polish” plants gardens, especially annuals, perennials and vegetables.

Anything planted back in May will be virtually out of food and ready for a second helping. Container plants, including hanging baskets, really need to be fed once or twice a week with a soluble fertilizer. For plants in the ground, I still prefer the organics because they have microbes and humic acid added to them, both of which improve the overall long-term health of the soil.

Watering. The hot spell we had last week should have been a wake-up call when it comes to watering. Our summers are dry and, if you want a good looking garden, you need to water. While I would never advocate wasting water, I do believe using it in my garden is money well spent.

Remember, those agencies that bring us our water need the revenue to support the infrastructure and, ironically, the less we use, the more they need to raise their rates. I would just as soon have the water evaporate from my garden as from the reservoir where it is stored and doesn’t generate income. Call me crazy, but this is my rationale for watering as much as I do.

Weeding. In addition to feeding and watering, eliminating competition is critical to having a beautiful garden. Get rid of those weeds and then cover the bare ground with an inch of compost. Better yet, just plant more flowers so there is no room for weeds! The bees, hummingbirds and butterflies will be glad you did.

Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

Summer Pruning

Attend a free class on summer pruning at 10 a.m. July 8 at Sunnyside Nursery, 3915 Sunnyside Blvd, Marysville. For more information or to sign up, visit www.sunnysidenursery.net.