July Garden Calendar

By Kent Higgins

In Northern United States and Canada

From now on garden wastes will become available. Stems and foliage of crops that have been harvested, annual weeds that are hoed off and raked up and later leaves fallen from trees are examples of this material. Unless it harbors pests or diseases that are carried over in the soil, these wastes can be turned into valuable fertilizing and soil conditioning compost by piling it in a suitable bin or heaping in an out-of-the-way corner and allowing it to decay. Greenwood leafy cuttings of a great many shrubs, trees and perennial herbaceous plants, including ground covers, taken in July root readily.

Now that the weather is warmer, raise the cutting height of the blades of the lawn mower so that the grass is cut not less than two inches high. Apply selective weed killers and practice hand weeding to eliminate Crab Grass and other lawn weeds. Lift and divide bearded Iris shortly after they are through blooming. Toward the end of July Siberian Iris may be treated in the same way. Iris of these types normally require this treatment every three or four years.

The end of July is a good time to transplant Madonna Lilies, Oriental Poppies and Bleeding Hearts. Root cuttings of Bleeding Hearts, Oriental Poppies, Anchusas should be taken this month. Young perennials and biennials raised from seeds sown in May or June will now be ready for transplanting to nursery beds.

Prune Rambler Roses and tie into place new shoots as soon as possible after the plants are through flowering, and are making their new shoots. Summer-prune Wistarias by cutting hack part way the long viney shoots that develop at this time. Sow Pansies at the end of the month. It is still not too late to sow Forget-me-nots, English Daisies, Wallflowers, Foxgloves and other biennials for flowering next Spring, although the plants will not be quite as husky as those sown earlier. The same remarks apply to sowing seeds now of Delphiniums, Pyrethrums, Coreopsis and other perennials.

Sow Chinese Cabbage, Endive, Lettuce and Onions for late harvests. Set out young plants of Broccoli for a late crop. This is the month to sow seeds of Snapdragons, Stocks, Primulas, Cinerarias, Salpiglossis, Leptosynes and other annuals for early Winter crops in the greenhouse.

It is not too early to begin preparations for new lawns that are to be sown in September. If you turn the soil over now and sow the area to a crop of Buckwheat or other quick-maturing green manure and then turn that under two or three weeks before sowing the lawn, you will add to the organic matter in the soil and do much to ensure a weed-free seed bed. Keep up with watering, fertilizing, staking and tying and, above all with whatever spraying is necessary.

In the South

Bermuda Grass thrives in hot weather. You can still make new lawns by sowing "hulled" seeds of this grass. Rest Roses partially at this time. Do not water them or fertilize them but keep up with the spraying or dusting program. Do some corrective pruning of fast-growing shrubs. A last application of fertilizer to Camellias and Azaleas may be given now. This is a good time to insert cuttings of these plants. Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals for fall bloom. Keep Chrysanthemums staked and fertilize them every two or three weeks.

On the West Coast

Keep Roses and braided ficus tree well watered and prune them lightly when they are through blooming. Fertilize about once a month and spray or dust regularly. This is a fine time to sow seeds of biennials and perennials. In the vegetable garden continue to make sowings of crops for harvest in Fall and early Winter. Ficus trees and annuals, such as Cornflowers, Calendulas, Poppies, Stocks, Sweet Peas, Pansies, Primula malacoides and Linarias may be sown now in mild sections.

Tie Dahlias securely to their stakes. Disbud those being grown for large blooms. Pinch early-flowering Chrysanthemums for the last time in mid-July, late-flowering ones for the last time in late July. In the northwest, July is a good time to lift, divide and replant many kinds of Spring-flowering rock garden plants. - 29857

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