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    • January winter
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    • March timely tips
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    • June garden tasks
    • July summer tasks
    • August hot summer
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    • October fall begins
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    • December gardens
  • Our Publications
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  • HOME
    • About Master Gardener Volunteers
    • 2023 Master Gardener training
    • Demonstration GARDEN
  • Request Our Help
    • Speaker Request
    • Garden HELP Desk
    • School/Community Garden Consultation
  • Garden Zone
  • GARDEN CALENDAR
    • January winter
    • February to do list
    • March timely tips
    • April 15th last frost
    • May spring frenzy
    • June garden tasks
    • July summer tasks
    • August hot summer
    • September gardens
    • October fall begins
    • November planting
    • December gardens
  • Our Publications
  • Videos
  • Consider a Donation


July Garden Tasks 
in the Piedmont

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There's a variety of plants in the demonstration garden at the Extension Office.

 Perennials, Annuals, Bulbs

  • Divide and transplant Daylilies, Irises and Peonies after they finish blooming (every couple of years).  
    • Divide older bearded iris rhizomes; cut out the woody parts and replant the rest.  
  • Before mid-July
    • Remove one-third of growth off fall-blooming perennials to encourage abundant flowers and compact growth 
    • Prune Hydrangea Macrophylla and Gardenias as blooms fade
  • Lightly fertilize ever-blooming and fall-blooming roses for their autumn display.
  • Don’t pinch back mums or dahlias after July 1 or you may disrupt their fall blooming show.  
  • Pinch leggy shoots of Begonias, Coleus and Geraniums to create more shapely plants.
  • Transplant and divide with care -- keep transplants moist. 
  • To speed new growth, lightly fertilize perennials after pruning.
  • Make a final pinching of fall bloomers, such as Chrysanthemums and Asters.
  • Cut Columbine back to the ground when all flowering is finished so that fresh foliage will develop.
  • Remove spent flowers from perennials and annuals to promote plant vigor and growth.
  • Remove canna flower stalks when seeds begin to develop.
  • Prune crowded perennials and deadhead to keep them in their space and control reseeding.
  • Plant seeds of Foxglove, Butterfly Weed, Shasta Daisies, Yarrow, Purple Coneflower, and Black-Eyed Susans now. 
  • Inspect plants regularly—aphids, beetles, thrips and white flies are at their worst this month. 
  • Japanese beetles continue to eat their way through our yards
    • Hand pick and drown in a bucket of soapy water. 

Vegetables 

  • Pick beans, squash and tomatoes regularly to increase production
  • For sweetness, pick peas and corn late in the day (when they contain the most sugar, especially if the day was cool and sunny)
    • Other vegetables, like lettuce and cucumbers, are crisper and tastier if harvested in the morning
  • Plant beans and carrots now. 
  • Plants of collards and brussel sprouts can be set out mid-July
  • Through August, start seeds indoors for collards, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower
  • Remove lower suckers on tomatoes and lightly fertilize to keep production going 
  • Plant tomatoes for fall​

Herbs & Fruits

  • Strawberries may have finished producing, but keep them mulched and add light fertilizer for next year’s crop.
  • Herbs begin to mature this month—the best time to harvest them for peak flavor/scent is early morning after the dew is dry. 
  • Reap what you’ve grown. If you have more than you need, share with friends or a nearby retirement or assisted living center.

Lawn & Landscaping

  • Change directions when mowing—go east to west one mowing, and then switch to north to south (or on a diagonal) for the next.
  • During droughts: Either apply one inch of water per week or allow grass to go dormant.
    • Water a dormant lawn every three weeks. 
  • Do not fertilize cool-season lawns until September. 
  • It is a good idea to submit your soil samples for analysis this month, to determine nutrient requirements for application this fall.  
    • Most of the year (generally April through November), routine NCDA&CS soil tests are provided at "no direct cost" to North Carolina residents.  
  • Watch for brown patch and continue checking for grubs. 

Trees, Shrubs & Groundcovers

  • Fertilize trees and shrubs for the last time this year. 
  • Do not prune spring flowering shrubs after July 15th.
  • Continue staking tall trees/shrubs before they fall over. 
  • Mulch to conserve moisture.  Do not crowd or pack mulch around lower stems and trunks. 
  • Scout landscape plants such as Japanese maple, Leyland cypress and junipers for bagworms forming, and apply an insecticide labeled for bagworms.  
    • Bags may also be picked off and burned later in the season, if legally allowed in your area.
  • Prune “bleeder” trees (maple, dogwood, birch and elm) this month, if needed.
  • Remove spent crepe myrtle and buddleia blossoms to prolong the flowering period.
  • Take semi-hard cuttings now from aucuba, azalea, buddleia, camellia, clematis, nandina, gardenia, holly, kerria, Confederate rose and weigela.
  • If shrubs need light trimming, don’t wait any longer; the tender re-growth could be killed back over winter.
  • Hot, dry weather favors powdery mildew. As soon as you notice the disease, spray every 7-14 days (according to label directions).
  • Spider mites are another problem during hot and dry weather
    • Reduce their numbers with horticultural oil or spray insecticidal soap.

More to do....always! 

  • Don’t forget the sunscreen.  Wear a hat, and remember to drink water while working outside for extended periods!  
 Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener℠  Volunteers
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 ​The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a part of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and North Carolina State University
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