July 2021 Gardening Tips

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Dear Gardening Friends, Summer is definitely here, and on steroids. Thank goodness for the few cool days and rain once in a while. In this heat watering is the biggest issue. Time to get out the hoses. The following are some tips for July: - Watering has to be a priority and the way you water is important. Most pots in the sun will nee watering every day. If it is a very full pot possibly 2/day. Ones in the shade probably less. Watering until the water runs out the bottom of the pot insures the whole pot is moistened. The way to tell if a pot needs watering is to poke your finger into the soil down a few inches. If the soil is moist you don’t have to water. Overwatering in pots can be as harmful as underwatering. For vegetables, annuals, and perennials in the ground watering long once or twice a week is better than daily short watering. The water needs to soak into the soil down where the roots are. To check take a trowel or shovel and make a divot. If it’s moist in the root zone (5-6 inches) you don’t need to water. The standard is an inch a week but in this heat that may not be enough especially in a sunny area. The amount of watering will depend on the amount of sun and wind the area gets and how porous the soil is. In my garden some places in this extreme heat need watering every 4 days others in the shade maybe once a week or less. For those recently planted perennials and annuals, they will need water more often that established plants as their roots aren’t well established. - Bad news, I’ve already found a few Japanese beetles. If you get the first ones you will decrease the total amount that find you. Check the plants you know they prefer. Get out a container with a few inches of soapy water and knock the little buggers in. Gives me great satisfaction. For more info: https://blogs.cornell.edu/willow/files/2014/10/Japanese-Beetle-Popillia-japonica-fact-sheet-16vi6b4.pdf -Another insect I’ve had a lot of evidence of is 4 lined plant bug. It’s a small yellow and black striped true bug that has a piercing mouth part that leaves small round dark circles in the leaves. Fortunately, this doesn’t kill the plants, but it is unsightly. They lay their eggs in the stems of the effected plants so at the end of the season cutting down those stems helps reduce the infestation next year. For more info: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/four-lined-plant-bug/ - I’ve also seen signs of powdery mildew. This is a whiteish coating on the leaves. For plants like phlox that are susceptible to fungal disease you can start treatment before it shows symptoms. Treat with an environmentally safe fungicide specific to your problem. Remove affected leaves and disinfect your pruner and hands before moving to another plant. For more info: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/powdery-mildew/ - If you fertilize your plants, it’s best to do it when the soil is moist. Natural fertilizers are much better for the plants and soil than chemical ones. Chemical fertilizers contain salts which kill the natural microbes in the soil which are what feed the plants. - Moving plants this late in the season is not advised. Wait till the fall which is an ideal time for moving and adding plants, trees, and shrubs. - If any of you are having problems with the lily leaf beetle (a small red beetle on true lilies) try a squirt of Dawn dish liquid in a spray bottle of water. A few people have said that helps. I’ve seen them on tricyrtis (toad lily) this year so check out those as well. For more information check: http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2001/07/cornell-cooperative-extension-master-gardeners-spot-invasive-unpleasant-beetles-new A squirt of Dawn & water works well for aphids as well. - Then there’s weeding… Just when you think you’re finished more pop up. Try and keep up or at least remove or deadhead weeds before they drop seed. If you haven’t mulched this will help control the weeds. Gardening events in July: Garden Walk Buffalo, Open Gardens and the weekend community garden walks are up and running. Open Gardens are every Thursday and Friday in July. My gardens are open on Fridays from 10-2. Please stop by. For information and schedules go to https://www.gardensbuffaloniagara.com/ or buffaloniagaragardening,com. The Open Garden books which include all activities are also available at select nurseries and some of the Open Gardens. Lessons from Nature events: I have started hypertufa and concrete birdbath and steppingstone classes. I apologize to any of you who signed up at my plant sale as I have misplaced the signup sheet. Contact me and we can set up a class of up to 4 people. Lessons from the Garden: People have suggested I offer some gardening classes in my gardens so here we go. There will be 2 sessions of a mid-summer class on good gardening practices, Wed. July 14 th at 7 PM and Saturday July 17 th at 11 AM. The classes will include seasonal gardening tips, what to do about pests and diseases along with answering any questions you may have. The Garden session will last about an hour followed by 1/2 hour of refreshments and conversation on the porch. There will be a limit of 5 per class so everyone can see and have the opportunity to ask questions. The cost will be $25/person. Your reservation will be honored when payment is received. If you have any questions just give a call or email – contact info is below. Don’t forget to contact me for a garden consult. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices as well as save you time and money! It’s not too late for improvements. Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz 652-2432 Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*