There is still a lot of summer left to enjoy!
For Fresh Color
If flower pots and hanging baskets from earlier in the season look haggard or have dried out, replace them with fresh, colorful zinnias, dahlias, and coleus. There are still plenty of blooming annuals to choose from to help liven things up for the next dinner party or pool day.
For the Lawn & Landscape
For hot weather protecton, weed control, and shock reducer for new plantings:
- Mulch beds with G&B Soil Building Conditioner.
- Provide temporary shade for new and vulnerable plantings, if needed.
Deep watering:
- Camellias need deep watering this month to develop flower buds for next spring, especially those that bloom in fall/winter like ‘Yuletide’.
- Mature landscape trees and shrubs benefit from monthly deep watering during hot, dry weather.
The optimal time for establishing a new lawn is August through mid-October in the Willamette Valley. While it’s probably still too hot to start a new lawn from seed, you can begin soil preparation now:
- Test pH and add lime, if necessary
- Kill existing weeds
- Measure the square footage to know how much compost, fertilizer, and grass seed to buy
Check for pests:
- Root weevils in ornamental shrubs and flowers such as rhododendrons and hollyhocks
- Codling moths and spider mites in apple trees
- Scale insects in camellias, holly, and maples; treat as necessary with beneficial nematodes and/or neem oil
- Caterpillars on vegetables, geraniums, and petunias; control with Bonide Captain Jack’s or remove by hand
- Yellow jackets and wasps—control with lures or traps, but remember that they are beneficial to gardens by preying on caterpillars and other pests
Bring in leaf or bug samples and photos of plants that are not doing well; gardeners on staff can diagnose and offer treatments for most problems.
For the Edible Garden
Fertilize summer crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and squash for continued harvests with G&B Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer, which is organic and probiotic.
Clean up and fertilize your strawberry bed; add a few new plants to areas where growth is thin.
Check apple maggot traps; spray trees if needed.
Perhaps friends and family have had enough zucchini. It’s time to plant a new crop of fall vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, winter kale, spinach, turnips, and parsnips. It’s also a great time for a mid-summer planting of peas for fall harvest. Stop in our garden centers soon to see what seeds or starts are available.
Plant winter cover crops to naturally improve your soil as space opens up in the vegetable garden later this month. We have many to choose from—ask our experts for more information!
Monitor potatoes and tomatoes for early and late blight.
In the Garden Shed
Prepare lawn renovation supplies for the arrival of rain in upcoming months:
- lime
- G&B Soil Building Conditioner
- G&B Organic Lawn Fertilizer
- grass seed (over-seed at a rate of 3.5–5 lbs per 1000 square feet or seed bare ground with 7–10 lbs per 1000 square feet).
Basic Pruning List
It’s a good time to trim and shape broad-leafed shrubs and hedges such as boxwood, privets, and laurel. Be careful of sunburning plants during extreme heat; protect with shade cloth.
Lightly prune to shape deciduous trees, Japanese maples, and summer-flowering shrubs after they have bloomed.
Prune raspberries and other cane berries after harvest.
For the Indoors
The hottest days of summer are here! Make sure your houseplants have adequate air circulation and increase humidity or misting to make up for dry air.
Continue to fertilize and monitor for pests—wipe leaves regularly for prevention.
Evaluate repotting needs; plan to repot before growth slows down for fall/winter. If not repotting, refresh soil by replacing the top layer with a thin layer of worm castings and fresh potting soil.
For Fun
Sit out and enjoy your garden! Read a book or watch/listen to the birds and bees to decompress from the day.
Pick and eat a homegrown feast. Bring your extra produce to our garden centers on Wednesday or Friday to be donated to local food banks through our Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign.
Choose a shady spot, grab a cool drink, and gather friends for craft time. Plant sedums and succulents for an outdoor vertical garden or pot up a succulent dish garden for your patio table.