July: Clean Up After Harvesting Fruits
Remove old raspberry canes and trim back strawberry plants after fruiting.…
July: Trim Early Season Bloomers
Cut back early-season bloomers, such as delphinium, daisy, and campanula by 1/2 to 1/3. New growth will sprout and a second flowering may occur.…
July: Propagate Shrubs with Cuttings
Take softwood cuttings of shrubs such as buddleia, weigela, rose-of-sharon and roses. Place them in pots of moist sand or potting soil, then cover them with a plastic bag, glass jar or large plastic pop bottle, creating a mini-greenhouse. When…
July: Groom Tomato Plants
Continue to pinch out, or cut off, side shoots from tall growing (indeterminate) tomatoes. It’s not necessary to remove them from bush type tomatoes.…
July: Flopping Perennials
Some late spring/early summer perennials such as golden marguerite, some shasta daisies and artemisia ‘flop open’ or lay down. Cut them down to the crown when the bloom period is over. If this action is done early enough in the…
July: Pinch Back Herbs
Periodically pinch basil if you don’t harvest it weekly. Pinching keeps it from flowering and ensure you have a full, bushy-looking plant. Mint, oregano, and savory can also be pinched to promote bushier growth.
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July: Picking Peas and Beans
Use two hands or a pair of secateurs when picking peas and beans. The top should come off with the bean/pea rather than being left on the plant. Pulling the beans/peas off with one hand will often result in breaking…
July: Keep Up with Weeding
Pull weeds as they grow and use mulch in your flower beds to prevent them from sprouting. If you can’t pull them all, at least cut off their tops to prevent them from seeding; this will mean fewer weeds next…
June: Bearded Iris
As your bearded iris finish blooming, remove the flower stalk close to the foliage. Don’t cut the foliage into a fan shape. The foliage is needed for the photosynthesis process to build up strength for next year’s blooms. Remove the…
June: Daily Check-up
Stroll through your garden daily checking plants for disease and undesirable pests – problems can be minimized when discovered and dealt with early.…