June 27, 2022

July’s Arrival Creates a New Gardening To-Do List

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

–  Russel Baker

It was a busy weekend at our house – at least from a gardening standpoint. I wanted to finish planting my cutting garden, so I ended up working in the rain all Saturday afternoon. I haven’t been happy with our front perennial bed for quite some time, so I just decided to tear the whole thing out and started over. It’s all planted and mulched, now I just have to keep it watered. Let’s hope this second attempt does better.

It’s not like there isn’t enough other gardening tasks that I had to go looking for a new project. With July’s arrival, there are more new things to do. It’s time to mulch the peonies and remove the seed pods. Doing so will help keep them looking like a nice shrub in the garden. Pinch back new growth on late-blooming mum a half inch to encourage bushiness and prevent flopping over. I didn’t get some of my sedum pinched back in time and now one has flopped over, leaving the center exposed. The plant isn’t damaged, but it doesn’t look as nice as it could. Remove infected leaves from hollyhocks to control rust. The chicory is starting to bloom alongside the roads so the Japanese beetle scouts should be arriving soon. Inspect your plants daily, especially those that are susceptible to the beetles (my cannas) and be prepared to pick and toss them into a bucket of soapy water. I like to do my inspection in the morning – I walk around my garden with a cup of coffee in one hand, a bucket of soapy water in the other, and search for beetles. Hopefully, the beetles hit the bucket and not my coffee cup.

It’s a busy time in the vegetable garden. My lettuce is just about done, my spinach has started to bolt, and my peas need to be picked. If you grow garlic, cut off the scapes so they produce larger bulbs – added bonus, scapes are delicious. Throughout the month, harvest potatoes, onions, and garlic when the tops start to shrivel. After harvesting these early crops, plant lettuce and spinach for fall. Pre-germinate them on a moist paper towel or simply plant them just a little deeper than you would have in the spring and mulch lightly. You can also plant, collards, kale, and even cucumbers for fall harvest. Replace any mulch that has broken down and keep weeds in check, so they don’t go to seed. As for garden pests, be on the lookout for the dreaded squash vine borer. I try keeping my stems near the base of my plant wrapped so they can’t easily attack my plants. The imported cabbageworm moth made its appearance in my garden, so I had to break out the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki).

Keep an eye on your rain gauge. Newly planted trees, fruit trees, and grass need about of inch of water a week during hot summer months. Apply mulch around tree bases to help retain moisture – just don’t put it right up against the tree. Mow no shorter than two inches and fertilize around July 4^th if you follow the holiday schedule (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Halloween.) Remove suckers from fruit trees and remove old canes from summer-bearing raspberries after harvest is complete.

The Sauk County Master Gardeners Association’s 2022 Annual Garden Tour is fast approaching. For only $10, visit ten local gardens on July 30th. Visit Eventbrite.com and search for 2022 Annual Garden Tour to purchase tickets. Have a safe and happy 4^th of July weekend!

This week’s article is written by Jeannie Manis, a Wisconsin Certified Sauk County Master Gardener Volunteer. If you have any gardening questions, please contact the Extension Sauk County by emailing to  trripp@wisc.edu or calling the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250.