by Amanda

The start of July means summer is in full swing and most of our gardens are at the peak of the season, bursting with Daylilies, Bee Balm, Astilbe, Lavender, and more. July is also a big month for garden maintenance; the hot weather makes it important to keep up with watering, weeding, and other chores in the garden to ensure your landscape stays healthy during some of the hottest days of the year. If you live in a cooler area, there is still time to add some quick-blooming varieties to your garden for a big burst of color in the late summer into fall.

We'll outline July garden maintenance by region, focusing on the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West, as well as give some of our favorite varieties for July planting in both dry and humid climates.

July Gardening: What (Or If) To Plant

In many parts of the country it’s simply too hot to plant anything in July. In areas like the Southeast and coastal West, you’ll have to wait until the fall to add anything to your garden. But for gardeners in certain regions in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, July offers up a great chance to plant quick-growing wildflowers and vegetables to extend your season. In the hottest zones, you're next chance for planting from seed will likely come in August or September.

Wildflowers For July Planting

July is a great time to add quick-blooming wildflowers like Alyssum, Red Poppy, Zinnia, and Cosmos to your garden. These wildflowers grow and bloom in just weeks, giving them plenty of time to create an end-of-season show in your garden if planted in July. These wildflowers are a great way to fill in empty spots in your perennial or wildflower gardens, as well as offer up plenty of nectar at the end of the season for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Vegetables For July Planting

In colder regions July is the perfect time to plant a second round of fast-growing vegetable varieties like beets, radishes, beans, lettuce, carrots, and heat-tolerant greens.

Maintenance In The July Garden

Watering In Hot, Dry Regions

In most regions, July offers up some of the hottest and driest days of the year, and it’s best to be proactive in your garden to not only keep things watered, but to also conserve water as much as possible.

• When you do water, make sure to give everything a good soaking. Even if you can only water once per week, soaking the entire plant when you do water keeps it healthy.
• Water in the early morning or evening when the sun is at its weakest. This will prevent the water from quickly evaporating into the atmosphere, allowing it to soak into the soil and reach your plants' root systems.
• Avoid watering the foliage of your plants as this can promote the spread of mildews, rusts, and molds. If possible, install soaker hoses which water directly in the soil and help conserve water. These are especially helpful for vegetable gardens.

Another proactive way to reduce watering in any region is to start with drought-tolerant varieties in your landscape. Perennials like Sedum, Lavender, Echinacea, and Rudbeckia don’t require a ton of supplemental water and will do great in the July heat. Wildflowers are also another low-water solution for any sunny spot in the garden.

Caring For Your Garden In Hot, Humid Areas

There are some regions in the country that experience not only high temperatures in July, but also extreme moisture and humidity. These areas can see wilting plants, mold, mildew, and fungus in their gardens in July. There are several ways to help keep your gardens and plants healthy in this hot, damp weather:

1. Prune, thin, weed -- and repeat! A lot of the diseases associated with damp weather and humidity in the garden occur when plants are overcrowded. Plants need plenty of air circulation and sunlight to help dry out and stay healthy, especially in the hot, humid weather. Keep up with weeding, thinning, and pruning weekly.
2. As soon as you see a diseased plant, cut the infected area immediately. After trimming off the diseased part of your plant, dispose of it in the garbage (not the compost).
3. If you need to irrigate, water early in the day and at ground level. Morning watering gives the plant enough time to dry off during the day and watering at ground level helps keep moisture off of the plant's foliage and can prevent mildew.

Tropical bulbs like Canna Lilies, Elephant Ear, Calla Lilies, and Caladium prefer this hot, humid weather and are a great choice for regions that experience this type of weather in July. Other varieties that thrive in humidity and don't mind wet soil are Joe Pye Weed, Hibiscus, Swamp Milkweed, Japanese Iris, and Cardinal Flower.

July Gardening Chores By Region

July Gardening Chores: Northeast

1. Remove faded blooms on your perennials and annuals to promote continuous flowering. If your annuals are beginning to fade, cut them back by 1/3 to encourage new growth and blooms.
2. If you’re growing in containers, be diligent about checking the soil to keep up with watering. Containers dry out quickly and require much more water, especially in July. Remember: the smaller a container, the more often you will need to water it!
3. Remember to remove buds off your Basil before they start to flower.
4. Weed regularly! In July, the best time to do this is in the early morning or evening so you won’t be out when the sun is at its strongest.
5. If you’re noticing harmful bugs in your flower or vegetable garden, use a natural soapy spray to help keep the problem at bay. We recommend mixing 1 Tablespoon or less of Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear soap per quart of water and placing it in a spray bottle. Always spray the undersides of plants.
6. Harvest vegetables regularly. Don’t let cucumbers, zucchini, or other varieties get too big as they lose a lot of their flavor.
7. If you haven’t already, cut back unsightly, yellow foliage on your Daffodils and Tulips.
8. Turn the compost pile you made in spring if you haven’t yet.
9. If you’ve been fertilizing perennials, we recommend stopping this practice towards the end of July. New growth that emerges in late July or August may not make it through the fall frost.
10. Dump out and refill birdbaths and other standing water features regularly, as mosquito larvae can live in this stagnant water.
11. Move the blade to your lawn mower up and start to gradually mow the lawn at a longer length to help with drought.

July Gardening Chores: Southeast

1. Watering is extremely important in the Southeast in July - unless you're expereincing heavy rains. If possible, try to water your containers every day, your perennials once a week, and your vegetable garden twice per week. Water in the mornings to let foliage dry out during the day.
2. Harvest vegetables regularly. Don’t let cucumbers, zucchini, or other varieties get too big as they lose a lot of their flavor and will stop producing fruits if harvests are not taken.
3. Weed regularly! In July, the best time to do this is in the early morning or evening so you won’t be out when the sun is at its strongest.

4. Remove faded blooms on your perennials and annuals to promote continuous flowering. If your annuals are beginning to fade, cut them back by 1/3 to encourage new growth and blooms.
5. Dump out and refill birdbaths and other standing water features regularly, as mosquito larvae can live in this stagnant water.
6. If you’re noticing harmful bugs in your flower or vegetable garden, use a natural soapy spray to help keep the problem at bay. We recommend mixing 1 Tablespoon or less of Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear dish soap per quart of water and placing it in a spray bottle. Always spray the undersides of plants.
7. Make sure the blade on your mower is sharp to avoid damage to your grass that can cause it to die in dry spells. July is also a great time to move your blade up and start to gradually mow the lawn at a longer length to help with drought.
8. If you haven’t already, give your houseplants a good feeding and bring them outdoors to bask in the sun.

July Gardening Chores: Midwest

1. If you’ve been fertilizing perennials, we recommend stopping this practice towards the end of July. New growth that emerges in late July or August may not make it through the fall frost.
2. Remove faded blooms on your perennials and annuals to promote continuous flowering. If your annuals are beginning to fade, cut them back by 1/3 to encourage new growth and blooms.
3. If you’re growing in containers, be diligent about checking the soil to keep up with watering. Containers dry out quickly and require much more water, especially in July.
4. Remember to remove buds off your Basil before they start to flower.
5. Dump out and refill birdbaths and other standing water features regularly, as mosquito larvae can live in this stagnant water.
6. Weed regularly! In July, the best time to do this is in the early morning or evening so you won’t be out when the sun is at its strongest.



7. If you’re noticing harmful bugs in your flower or vegetable garden, use a natural soapy spray to help keep the problem at bay. We recommend mixing 1 Tablespoon or less of Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear soap per quart of water and placing it in a spray bottle. Always spray the undersides of plants.
8. Harvest vegetables regularly. Don’t let cucumbers, zucchini, or other varieties get too big as they lose a lot of their flavor.
9. If you haven’t already, cut back unsightly, yellow foliage on your Daffodils and Tulips.
10. Move the blade to your lawn mower up and start to gradually mow the lawn at a longer length to help with drought.

July Gardening Chores: West

1. Harvest vegetables regularly. Don’t let cucumbers, zucchini, or other varieties get too big as they lose a lot of their flavor.
2. Weed regularly! In July, the best time to do this is in the early morning or evening so you won’t be out when the sun is at its strongest.
3. Remove faded blooms on your perennials and annuals to promote continuous flowering. If your annuals are beginning to fade, cut them back by 1/3 to encourage new growth and blooms.



4. Dump out and refill birdbaths and other standing water features regularly, as mosquito larvae can live in this stagnant water.
5. If you’re noticing harmful bugs in your flower or vegetable garden, use a natural soapy spray to help keep the problem at bay. We recommend mixing 1 Tablespoon or less of Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear soap per quart of water and placing it in a spray bottle. Always spray the undersides of plants.
6. If you haven’t already, give your houseplants a good feeding and bring them outdoors to bask in the sun.
7. Move the blade to your lawn mower up and start to gradually mow the lawn at a longer length to help with drought.

July is the time of year where we can sit back and enjoy the hard work we’ve been busy at all spring. When the wildflowers are in full bloom and the hummingbirds are coming to and from your garden, it’s obvious that it was all worth it. And with a little effort and maintenance throughout July, your garden will stay healthy and vibrant all the way into fall.