July Gardening Calendar

Vegetables

• Blossom-end rot of tomato and peppers occurs when soil moisture is uneven. Water when soils begin to dry; maintain a 2-3 inch layer of mulch.
• Week 1: To minimize insect damage to squash and cucumber plants, try covering them with lightweight floating row covers. Remove covers once plants flower.
• Week 2: Dig potatoes when the tops die. Plant fall potatoes by the 15th.
• Weeks 3-4: Set out broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants for the fall garden.
• Week 3: Keep cukes well watered. Drought conditions will cause bitter fruit.

• Water frequently enough to prevent wilting. Early morning irrigation allows turf to dry before nightfall and will reduce the chance of disease.
• Weeks 3-4: Monitor lawns for newly hatched white grubs. If damage is occurring, apply appropriate controls, following product label directions.

• Cover grape clusters loosely with paper sacks to provide some protection from marauding birds.
• Week 1: Prune out and destroy old fruiting canes of raspberries after harvest is complete.
• Week 1: Blackberries are ripening now.
• Weeks 2-3: Apply second spray to trunks of peach trees for peach borers.
• Week 4: Thornless blackberries ripen now.

• Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather.
• Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed.
• While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra and spray hardy phlox to prevent powdery mildew.
• Newly planted trees and shrubs should continue to be watered thoroughly, once a week.
• Fertilize container plants every two weeks with a water soluble solution.
• Keep weeds from making seeds now. This will mean less weeding next year.
• Keep deadheading spent annual flowers for continued bloom.
• Perennials that have finished blooming should be deadheaded. Cut back the foliage some to encourage tidier appearance.
• Weeks 1-2: Plant zinnia seed by July 4th for late bloom in annual border.
• Weeks 1-2: Spray hollies for leaf miner control.
• Weeks 1-2: Prune climbing roses and rambler roses after bloom.
• Week 1: Apply no fertilizers to trees and shrubs after July 4th. Fertilizing late may cause lush growth that is apt to winter kill.
• Week 1: Hot, dry weather is ideal for spider mite development. Damage may be present even before webs are noticed.
• Week 1: With spider mite damage, leaves may be speckled above and yellowed below. Evergreen needles appear dull gray-green to yellow or brown.
• Weeks 2-3: Fall webworms begin nest building near the ends of branches of infested trees. Prune off webs. Spray with B.T. if defoliation becomes severe.
• Weeks 3-4: Summer pruning of shade trees can be done now.

Chris Starbuck
MU Division of Plant Sciences
StarbuckC@missouri.edu