July to-do list
•As the weather heats up this month, pay attention to your garden’s water needs. Check potted plants every few days, especially hanging baskets and those in unglazed ceramics as they lose water faster than glazed and plastic pots. Make sure all bare soil is covered in at least 3 inches of mulch (just keep it from touching plants). Mulch holds water and reduces the need to water. It also keeps the soil cool and weeds down.
•With water-wise plants, less is more. This time of year, its best to be hands-off. Don’t prune, don’t over-water, don’t fertilize. Just keep plants mulched.
•Plant South African bulbs like white, coral or pink flowering Watsonia, deep purple or intense pink Babiana, red, orange, and yellow flowered Sparaxis. These water-wise bulbs go dormant to survive the long, hot, dry summer. They poke their new leaves up out of the ground in early fall, then bloom through spring.
•Continue planting seedlings of tomato, pepper, eggplant, melons and other summer edibles through the end of the month for late summer/early fall harvest.
•Feed citrus, avocado, mango and other more tropical fruiting plants.
•When you’ve picked the last fruit off your tree, prune it. Summer pruning (rather than winter pruning) helps keep trees small so fruit stays within easy reach.
•Ready to get rid of your lawn? Summertime is the best time. Solarizing kills the grass by cooking it — literally. First, mow the lawn as short as possible. Water well, then cover with 1.5 to 4 mil clear (not black) plastic. Spread the plastic 6 inches beyond the edge of the lawn edges and overlap sheets if you use more than one. Use rock, brick or soil to weigh down the plastic. Turn your irrigation system off, then wait. The sun’s rays will superheat the soil and kill the grass, along with weed seeds in the upper few inches of soil. The entire process takes six to eight weeks in the sunniest months of the year.
According to “A Modern Herbal,” yarrow has a long tradition of being used to heal wounds. Yarrow’s botanical name, Achillea, is after Achilles, who was said to have used yarrow to treat his soldiers’ bleeding wounds. In ancient times, yarrow was called Herba Militaris, the military herb, most likely for that reason.
Today, we appreciate yarrow for other reasons. Our native yarrow, Achillea millefolium, along with European and Asian native yarrows, are mostly low-profile, fast-spreading evergreens that thrive in full to part sun.
Yarrows take little water once established but grow more lush and “flowerful” with a bit more. They aren’t picky about soil; they even tolerate clay. These versatile little perennials make nectar that attracts butterflies and pollen that attracts beneficial bees.
Perennial beds and grassy meadows are both brightened by yarrow’s broad, flat clusters of tiny flowers in white, yellow, pink, pale lavender or red. Native yarrow grows densely enough to serve as a lawn replacement in areas that get light foot traffic.