What To Do In July

• Lawn:

  • Watch for signs of turf insects; treat if necessary. Chinch Bugs attack St. Augustine lawns and cause brownish dry patches. Sunny areas of the lawn usually are attacked first. Mole crickets breaststroke through the soil, damaging grass roots. Sod webworms feed at night by chewing grass in concentrated areas (Note: Webs in the lawn indicate harmless spiders, not webworms). To test for the presence of these pests: Add 1½ ounces of dishwashing detergent (lemon-scented is best) to a 2-gallon sprinkling can full of water and drench a 2 foot by 2 foot area of lawn. Observe the area for about two minutes. If present, chinch bugs, caterpillars or mole crickets will be flushed to the surface. Treat the affected area and a 5-foot buffer around it. It is not necessary to spray the entire lawn.  Check the resources section on the previous web page for more information on the treatment of turf for these insects with insecticides.

  • Recycle grass clippings. Leave grass clippings on the lawn or use them as mulch or compost. Each full bag equals 1/4 pound of organic nitrogen fertilizer that can be recycled on the lawn, in flowerbeds or in compost.

   

• Shrubs, Plants & Flowers

  • Prune landscape plants. Prune lightly to shape plants and encourages branching. Never remove more than 1/3 of a plant’s foliage at a time. Summer flowering plants such as hibiscus, oleander and crape myrtle will produce more blooms if old blossoms and seed pods are removed. This should be the last pruning of the year for azaleas, as flower buds will form soon.

  • Solarize vegetable garden. Clear, till, level, and moisten soil, then cover with 2 to 6-mil clear plastic. Mound soil over the edges of the plastic to retain heat. Leave covered for four to six weeks. Solar heat will accumulate under the plastic and soil temperatures will increase to a point where nematodes, weed seeds and soil borne diseases will be killed.

  • Correct iron deficiency of plants. Symptoms appear on the new growth of plants. Leaves are yellow, but veins appear as fine green lines. Applications of iron chelate or iron sulfate are effective. Check soil pH to determine if an alkaline soil is causing the problem.

  • Cut back poinsettias and chrysanthemums. Poinsettias and chrysanthemums should be cut back several times through the growing season. New growth on poinsettias should be pinched back a few inches when it is 12 inches or longer, 6 to 8 inch cuttings can be rooted to have pot plants for Christmas. Pinch Chrysanthemum tips when stems are 6 inches long.

  • Plant and fertilize annuals. (See January)

  • Fertilize azaleas, camellias and hibiscus. (See February)

  • Fertilize perennials. (See March)

  • Start a compost pile. (See March)

  • Watch for lacebug infestations. (See March)

  • Spray roses to prevent black spot. (See March)

  • Fertilize outdoor potted plants. (See April)

  Trees:

  • Plant palm trees. (See June)

  • Check citrus trees for rust mites, greasy spot and melanose diseases. Heavy Rust Mite feeding will blemish citrus fruits by causing a brownish discoloration of the peel. Interior quality of the fruit is not affected. Leaf spots can be signs of greasy spot or melanose diseases. Prune out all dead wood and spray with copper fungicide and summer oil emulsion. This spray will control all three problems.

  Other Things To Do:

  • Install a rain shut-off device. This gadget overrides an automatic irrigation system when rain occurs. It is inexpensive, easy to install and quickly pays for itself with savings on your water bill. Florida law requires a rain shut-off device on new irrigation systems. Hillsborough County requires them on all irrigation systems. Contact an irrigation supply store for more information.

What To Plant In July:

• Flowers: 

  • Annuals: Coleus, Impatiens, Marigold, Melampodium, Nierembergia, Periwinkle/Vinca, Silk Flower;

• Vegetables: 

  • Okra, Southern Peas

• Herbs and Spices: 

  • (From plants, not seeds) Basil, Bay Laurel, Ginger, Horehound, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme

• Bulbs: 

  • African Lily, Amaryllis, Aztec Lily, Blackberry Lily, Canna, Crinum, Gingers. Gladiolus, Kaffir Lily , Louisiana Iris, Moraea, Society Garlic, Spider Lily, Walking Iris