July's sun can have devastating effects on plants that are not suited for it. Selecting the proper plants and siting them to take advantage of their strengths can prevent most of the damaging effects of this month's heat.
Even plants that thrive in full sun can benefit from a few hours shade during the hottest part of the day. Often, moving the planting site a few inches one way or another can provide the bit of shelter that can make the difference between survival and spectacular.
Having a detailed knowledge of the microclimate of your garden is important and will aid in knowing just how much and in which direction to move a plant. For those who choose to not invest that much effort in gardening there is always the old standby of planting extra to compensate for what withers away. Whatever your approach to gardening, it is time to plant your late summer and fall annuals such as marigolds, zinnia, petunia, portulaca and ageratum.
Tomato transplants can be planted now for fall gardens. Don't forget to harden them off before planting them out to lessen the shock of the change from the greenhouse to your garden. Start them off while still in the pots with a couple of hours of direct morning sun increasing the length they are left out for 2 or 3 days until they are ready for planting in their permanent spots.
Warm season grasses can be planted now as well, but an abundant amount of water will be needed until the grass is established.
Remove the seed heads from crape myrtles immediately after the petals fall. This will stimulate new flowers. Prune out any dead, diseased, and damaged branches from trees and shrubs. Remove old rose blooms from bushes by pruning to the second set of 5-leaflet leaves.
Apply nitrogen fertilizer to roses in late July to give you better flowers in September and October. Water thoroughly after applying fertilizer to avoid damage to the roots. Or apply one inch of compost and forget about root damage. It still helps to water it in, though. Apply iron sulfate to plants that are showing yellow leaves with green veins. Keep iron sulfate or other iron products off the sidewalks and houses.
Recently planted plants have inadequate root systems and drought can damage them. Check them carefully and water when needed. If plants suffered from a freeze last winter, the stress from drought could cause death to a plant.
Water garden and lawn as needed, giving a thorough soaking rather than frequent light sprinklings. Sandy soils will need to be watered more often. Be sure to avoid run-off water. Add mulch if needed to flower beds and around shrubs. This helps to reduce water and weeds.
Mulch is available at regional garden centers and at the Big Spring Compost Facility, located at 3201 Perimeter Road.
Many spring-flowering shrubs and fruit trees will be forming flower buds in late July and August. Drought conditions can reduce both the quality and quantity of spring flowers. Don't allow them to suffer drought stress. Clean up iris beds and thin out clumps if crowded. They can be transplanted from July through October.
For more information, call Walter Ward at (432) 935-6455 or visit the Howard County Master Gardeners Website at www.howardcountymastergardener.org
