July/August Gardening Calendar
By Anna Snider, Horticulture Resource Educator
CCE Westchester County

Vegetables and Fruits
sCut out raspberry canes after they fruit.
sPlace boards under ripening melons to prevent fruit rot and keep out wireworms.
sMow strawberry plants to 3 inches immediately after harvest ends. Collect clippings in a mower bag or rake them off and remove to compost pile to help reduce disease. Fertilize at the rate of 5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 feet of row.
s Mound soil around leek stems to blanch.
s Blossom-end rot on tomatoes is caused by moisture fluctuations. sRegulation of soil moisture and mulch will help.

Lawns
sCheck for grubs starting the last week in July.
s Monitor for chinch bugs and sod web worms.
s If your lawn mower has more than 8 hours of use since you last sharpened the blade, it is time to resharpen it.
sDo not apply herbicides when temperatures are high.
sPostpone fertilizing until lawns recover from summer stress. Late summer fertilization is best performed around Labor Day.

Flowers
sTo encourage continuous blooming, deadhead spent flower heads. Pinch back annuals for a new flush of growth.
sFertilize annuals according to label directions. Don't forget annuals in containers and hanging baskets.
s Sow seeds of biennials such as sweet William, foxgloves and English daisies. They will bloom next year.

Trees and Shrubs
s Water trees and shrubs planted this season.
s Do not fertilize or prune at this time.

Houseplants
s Move houseplants to a shady outdoor spot for the summer.