July gardening essentials
Updated 3:09 pm, Friday, July 5, 2013
In July, the fog is typically cycling back and forth through coastal gaps and San Francisco gardeners watch anxiously for signs that the tomatoes will ripen. Meanwhile, inland Bay Area gardeners endure furnace blasts of air that make it too hot to transplant seedlings. Wherever the gardener is located, the chief task in July is to make certain plants receive sufficient water. Pay particular attention to young trees, because trees are both the backbone of a garden and guardians of our environment.
- When watering, check potted plants because the soil may have dried away from the edges of the pot, allowing water to cascade over the surface, avoiding the roots altogether. The cure is to submerge the pot in a larger container of water until bubbles stop and the soil is soft and pliable.
- Water rhododendron, camellias and azaleas now to set buds for next year's bloom. Water citrus and other fruit trees now or they may drop fruit.
- Fertilize everything in bloom or budding, particularly fuchsias, begonias and roses. If the soil is dry, be sure to water before fertilizing.
- Remove faded flowers when you see them. Shear back overgrown, straggly, brownish lobelia, felicia, petunias and sweet alyssum.
- Tip pinch chrysanthemums to make them bushy.
- Spray fuchsias with horticultural oil diluted with water to control the dreaded fuchsia mite.
- Dispose of fallen fruit and vegetables to thwart fungus spores, slugs and white flies.
- Plant autumn-blooming versions of bulbs such as spider lily, colchicum, ivy-leaved cyclamen, and allium.
- Plant bush beans, carrots and radishes for a second crop in the vegetable garden.
- Prune berry vines, except "everbears" that will still bear fruit, when you have finished harvesting.
- Clear weeds and grasses to at least 30 feet from the house to create defensible space during fire season.
- Thwart mosquitoes by flushing birdbaths and other standing bodies of water weekly to eliminate mosquito larvae. Float a Bti product such as Mosquito Dunks in standing water that can't be flushed.
Cure a sick plant
On the first Saturday of every month, the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley sponsors a sick plant clinic from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring samples of your ailing plant and pathologists will provide a diagnosis. Entomologists are also available to identify the pests that are living in your plants. All samples must be covered in containers or bags before entering the garden. The garden is at 200 Centennial Drive in the hills of Berkeley. The clinic is free but there is an entrance fee ($10 for adults). For more information call (510) 643-2755 or go to www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu