Plan for water when traveling

If you are planning to go away for any period of time this summer, remember new trees, shrubs and perennials will need regular, deep watering throughout the summer and fall months to establish good root systems. Consider setting up drip hoses on timers or use ‘tree gators’ to ensuring the water continues to get where it is needed. Use rain gauges attached to the system to prevent wasting water (and overwatering plants) if we continue to get regular rains.

If you're going away on vacation this month, be certain your new plantings will get adequate water.

After it rains...

Empty water from saucers under plants after rains. It’s never a good idea to allow a plant to sit in even a small amount of water. Clean and refill birdbaths every two or three days. Empty anything else that may have sat out in the rain and collected water. Mosquitoes take just a week to go from egg to hungry biter.


Also, the rains have washed nutrients out of the containers you planted in May. Adding a diluted liquid fertilizer will ensure that your plants keep growing/blooming into the fall. The more recently planted the container, the less likely you will need additional feedings. Many gardeners prefer weekly doses of diluted liquid fertilizer to the long-term pellets. That way you get to base the amount of food you give the containerized plants on the recent growing conditions.

Apply fertilizer & keep up with the weeds!

Your tomatoes, squash and melons will take off with the heat of July. Remember that corn uses a lot of nitrogen. Give it an application of nitrogen fertilizer (urea, fish emulsion, not milorganite on vegetables) after it reaches knee-high. Keep up with the weeds: they deprive your plants of everything they need—sun, space, water and nutrients. 

Apply a nitrogen fertilizer to corn when it reaches knee-high.

August Meeting: "Gardening is a Mystery" with Neal Sanders

Please join us on Wednesday, August 2nd with special guest Neal Sanders!  

7pm at Harmony Hall

Columbine seeds

Columbines are many gardeners favorite early summer plants. They are not long-lived plants, but they are generous with their seed. When the flowers are done, cut back most, but not all of the seed heads. That way you’ll know that you will have more next year, and if they don’t always appear exactly where you want them, they transplant easily.  

Columbines are finishing their spring and early summer blooms, but are leaving behind the seeds for their 2018 display.