June and July

Summer is truly the time to enjoy the fruits of all your spring labor and have some fun in your garden.

Keeping up with some basic tasks is helpful to support your plants to grow and bloom strong through to fall.

It is time to really plant out! It may also be that you are tempted to fill a green spot or two in the garden that you find could need a little more color after all the spring blooms are finished. Remember to consider heat tolerant varieties when adding to your summer garden, as they will have a better change of getting established. Sow biennials and remove crops as they go over. Pot out, pinch out, deadhead and keep on top of the weeds!

As you prepare to lounge, play, relax and host in your garden, here are a few important things to keep in mind.

Gardening: Care for the Summer Season

  • Water.

    The soil in your containers and beds will begun to dry out quicker as the summer heat settles in, so make sure to keep an close eye to ensure no plants are wilting between waterings. Plants in full sun need extra frequent watering. A tip is to stick a finger one knuckle deep into the soil to check if a container needs water. Water directly onto the soil, not. at the top of the plants.

  • Weed.

    It never seems to fail that the weeds grow faster than the plants you have planted. Staying on top of them and pulling them before they go to seed is a season-long task ensuring you will have less weeding to do later.

  • Support.

    At this point your plants have probably grown much taller and might be starting to lean over on their neighbors. It’s OK, we all need a little support from our friends now and then. But if they are leaning too much, it is time to stake them. You might also need to add more support in the form of garden twine for climbing vines that have already reached the top of their trellis.

  • Deadhead.

    Many types of perennials are commonly deadheaded, meaning their faded blossoms are spent flower stems are picked off and the spent flower stems trimmed off, to keep it looking neat and to encourage rebloom. Use shears to trim the flower stems down to the top of the mounded foliage.

    If you want the ornamental seed pods to develop on certain plants on the other hand, do not cut off the spent flower stems, since the pods will develop right where the flowers were.

  • Photograph.

    Be proud of your work and show it off!

    Regularly photographing your garden also has another practical use—it helps you remember what you planted, how it went, and what loved about your garden this year. Next spring, when you want to plant those gorgeous planters just like last year, by referring back to your documentation you’ll know exactly what you planted. Photos are also useful to reference when shopping at the garden center.

  • Enjoy.

    The summer is the ideal time to kick back and enjoy the beauty you have created in your outdoor living spaces. Take a nap in the shade of the trees and when you’re done, invite some friends over for a backyard dinner. Winter comes soon enough, so relish your time in the garden while you can!

Mulch, feed and collect.

Sometime finer mulches break down earlier in the season and need to be reapplied in the summer. This is also the time to mulch trees. Mulching helps to retain moisture and to keep the roots cool, so your plants don’t get stressed in the heat. As an added bonus it also covers bare ground where weeds may try to sprout, making that job easier for you.

Pull and compost tulips in June to relieve the soil for autumn.

Insects and pests are active throughout the summer, so don’t forget to keep an eye out for any issues.

Annual flowers should get plant food during the whole growing season. Perennials and shrubs can be fed with slow release plant food twice per year in spring and midsummer.

Remove spent annuals and replace with late-season crops, and do not forget to collect and store attractive seed heads for winter decoration!