Northern Region

For those up north, July is the month of lush gardens, bountiful blooms, and enjoyable evenings outdoors. Sweet corn, summer squash, and bouquets of fragrant and colorful flowers appear in gardeners' kitchens this month when the garden finally matches the imagination. 

But while enjoyment might be at its peak, by the end of the month, it’s time to start thinking about fall plantings. 

Vegetable & Herb Garden

The harvest of the main summer crops begins in earnest this month. By the end of July, even most northern gardeners are tasting the first sweet, ripe tomatoes off the vine. But there is much to do, from pest scouting to deadheading and harvesting.

Keep pruning tomato foliage to prevent it from touching the soil and manage the growth of the plants. Mulch under tomato plants can help reduce the likelihood of pathogens splashing up onto lower leaves.

Rip out your old lettuces, spinach, and other cool-season crops that bolted, unless they are heirloom varieties and you are saving the seeds. Plant the area with a quick cover crop (buckwheat works well) to hold down weeds until you are ready to begin fall plantings.

Harvest onions as the tops die back. Dig new potatoes. Get your sweet corn while it’s freshest.

Keep an eye out for Colorado potato beetles. If you only have a few plants, pluck the pests off them by hand and drop them in a container of soapy water.

Start brassicas indoors in trays about 6-8 weeks before your first anticipated fall frost date.

Flower Beds, Perennials, and Ornamentals

Annual flowers hit their stride this month in the North and with proper care, will continue to bloom until frost. They fill in gaps between bloom times for perennials and shrubs to keep the color (and pollinators) coming all month.

Continue watering newly planted trees, shrubs, and beds whenever rainfall is less than an inch per week, especially for those planted after the summer heat set in.

Deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms. Next month will be time enough to let a few go to seed if you’d like to save seeds for next year.

If your oregano, mint, or other herbs have begun to flower, give them a hard haircut and a little diluted fertilizer. They’ll put out a fresh flush of new, fragrant growth.

Powdery mildew starts to really show up this month. While it normally doesn’t kill a plant, it can restrict its growth. Keep notes on which varieties suffered the most and look for resistant varieties next year.

To-Do Checklist

Flip the compost pile and keep it watered. It should feel damp like a sponge, not dry.

Make a daily garden walk part of your integrated pest management. Look for new signs of diseases or pests. Home gardeners can often manage problem insects by simply hand-picking them as they arrive. The key is to detect them early, before they turn into an infestation.

Middle States

It’s hot in middle states, such as Kansas, Virginia, and Missouri, and summer storms can bring garden problems, with high winds, heavy rains, hail, or a mix of all three. Stay vigilant with trellising, pruning away damaged stems, and tracking weekly rainfall. One week can be wet and the next hot and dry.

Vegetable & Herb Garden

In July, many crops are ready, some are done, and since there is still plenty of time left in the growing season, you may be able to succession plant to extend the harvest.

Summer plantings of sweet corn, cucumbers, and chard can all go in the ground later in the month for early fall harvests. 

Start your fall brassicas indoors this month for transplanting in August.

Fertilize containerized plants on your patio or deck. They’ve used up the initial batch of nutrients in the potting soil. Apply a general-purpose fertilizer and follow the application rates on the label.

Watch for summer garden pests like tomato hornworms, squash vine borers, and grasshoppers.

Flower Beds, Perennials, and Ornamentals

Everything is in bloom, and that summer favorite, the dahlia, is showing off. Harvest lots of bouquets, and remember to cut the stems longer than you need. They can always be made shorter when you arrange them in the vase.

If you’re growing mums, perform the last pinch to shape the plants into bushy mounds. 

Apply a side-dressing of fertilizer to annual flowers if they look bedraggled. 

Water flower beds deeply, but limit it to two deep waterings per week, which are more beneficial than daily shallow waterings.

Replenish mulch as needed. By now, layers of grass clippings, straw, or shredded leaves have started to thin out and decompose. Freshen it up to keep the weeds down and the soil cool.

Treat roses for black spot.

To-Do Checklist

Prune older climbing roses after blooming. It’s also a good time for a light summer pruning of shade trees to remove dead or diseased wood.

Keep up with deadheading. A twice-per-week walk with the snips works well.

Snip off weed flowers before they set and release seed. 

Southern Region

In Texas, Georgia, Florida, and other southern states, it’s so hot that even heat-loving garden crops may be struggling. Take advantage of the cooler morning or evening hours to get necessary garden tasks done, avoid the midday heat, and protect yourself properly against the sun. 

Vegetable & Herb Garden

In the southern regions, both the garden and the gardener are likely in need of a break. However, keep up with watering, and don’t leave any soil bare to bake in the sun.

Plant more Southern peas, okra, and short-maturity sweet corn, but be sure to keep the soil moist.

Pumpkins for Jack-o-lanterns can be planted in July. Count back from Halloween using the maturity timeframe for your chosen variety. For example, a 100-day pumpkin can be planted mid-month.

Late-month transplantings of tomatoes and peppers will appreciate a little afternoon shade. Mulch the soil a couple of weeks before planting to help cool it down, and watch the soil moisture carefully.

Start a crop of basil in 4-inch pots for transplanting to larger containers or out in the garden later.

Flower Beds, Perennials, and Ornamentals

Many plants are going through their summer dormancy, just like us, waiting for the heat to break. Avoid fertilizing during this time, but do provide deep waterings. 

Watch out for aphids and spider mites. Aphids in particular can be removed with a good spray from the garden hose.

If perennial plants need fertilization, wait until the next cooler weather, as excess fertilizer in hot weather will stress and even burn the plants.

Prune new blackberry canes to encourage side shoots.

Check flowers in containers daily, and water when the top inch feels dry. Hanging baskets may need watering twice daily in hot weather.

To-Do Checklist

Be sure to leave a water source for your pollinator friends. A shallow dish in a shady spot will help them endure the hot weather. Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Plan the autumn garden. Grab some colored pencils and graph paper and make some sketches, using the shapes, colors, and sizes of plants you’d like to grow.

Keep the birdbath fresh with clean water and also add Mosquito Dunks; they are safe for birds.