Gardening Jobs for July

The long, warm days of Summer have finally arrived, and things are full steam ahead in the garden. The first harvests of Summer veg are incoming, and everything is looking very full and abundant. Pollinators are buzzing to and fro in the garden, and the urge to kick back and reward your efforts with a cold beverage is strong. While I am all for relaxing a little and enjoying all your hard work, there are still a few things that are important to keep on top of this month. Here are some gardening jobs for July!

Make sure your plants are being watered consistently and thoroughly

Temps are high, and because the ripe fruits and leafy veg are between 80-95% water, proper and thorough watering is essential for best flavor, texture, and production. It is so important to make sure you water consistently as well, your vegetable plants are not drought tolerant, and it would be a shame to let all your hard work go to waste because you neglected watering.

Monitor pollination of flowering cucumbers, and Summer and Winter squash

Your squash and cucumbers should start producing flowers, and if there is a lack of pollinators around, you could start experiencing fruit with shrivelled ends that are starting to rot. So, what I like to do is hand pollinate my zucchini and pumpkins by hand to ensure that my fruits develop properly into something I can harvest later on.

To hand-pollinate, you’ll need to locate open male and female flowers on your plant. The best time is in the morning. The male flowers will just be attached by a long green stem and the female flowers are the ones attached to the end of a small fruit. Pick the male flower off your plant and remove the petals. Then, all you need to do is gently roll the anther (center of the male flower that produces pollen) onto the stigma of the female flower.

If you find that you have more male flowers than female flowers, you can remove a few of the males and store them in the fridge for a few days until more female flowers are available to pollinate.

Cut back perennials

July and August is usually the time the greens from my peonies and lilies finally get crunchy and die back. I cut them back to the ground and make sure everything below ground is covered properly with compost. It’s also a great time to cut back things like salvia and lupine for continued blooming.

Harvest regularly

Your Summer veg is likely slowly starting to ripen, and in order to keep your plants producing, you want to keep on top of harvesting the veggies as they ripen! Also, things like zucchini can get quite large very quickly and are more tricky to use in cooking so it’s good to keep on top of harvesting them when they are small. So make sure you get out there and literally enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Feed your plants as needed

Plants like pumpkins and tomatoes are heavy feeders and it’s important to provide them with the proper nutrients they need to thrive and produce a bountiful harvest.

Start your seeds indoors for your Fall crops

I know it’s crazy to think about it in July, but now is the time to start planning and executing for your Fall & Winter garden. Towards the end of July, I will be starting things like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, chard, parsley, and onions indoors in preparation for transplanting in August or early September!

Gardening Jobs for July

Gardening Jobs for July

Make sure your plants are being watered consistently and thoroughly