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JULY 2008

Irene Virag | GARDENING

June 29, 2008

If all goes as expected, it should be hot, hot, hot as July fires up and lilies glow and those coldblooded wonders called butterflies sparkle amid the salvia. Noel Coward knew what he was talking about when he said that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. So save your weeding, watering, deadheading and other chores for the morning or late afternoon. Harry Truman advised that if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, but I think it's OK if you have a glass of iced tea and a salad fresh from your own garden waiting.

1) Keep on top of the tomatoes. Prune off suckers and tie up vines. Plants should be staked or caged by now - and mulched.

2) Snap off spent flowers of daylilies. Toss them in the compost. Pick snapdragons and phlox to keep the blooms coming.

3) Dog days of summer arrive. Period lasts from 20 days before to 20 days after conjunction of Sirius and the sun, Aug. 11.

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4) Independence Day. Declare yours. Go organic and free your garden from the tyranny of chemicals.

5) Resist picking blueberries just because they've turned blue. Let them linger on the bush for about a week to sweeten up.

6) Cut back candytuft and phlox so they don't get leggy. They'll reward you with more flowers next spring.

7) Sow a final crop of sweet corn. Plant dill, parsley, yarrow and catnip nearby.

8) Give tall divas like delphiniums, dahlias and lilies sturdy supports to lean on.

9) Harvest herbs in the morning when they're at their peak.

10) Water wisely - moist soil makes carrots sweet and radishes mild.

11) Go on a search-and-destroy mission. Blast aphids with a squirt of the hose; knock beetles into a can of soapy water.

12) Feed potted citrus plants with seaweed fertilizer or a sprinkling of blood or bonemeal every couple of weeks.

13) Make more rosemary. Strip 4-inch twig of all but six leaves; place in shade for 3 weeks.

14) Pinch hardy chrysanthemums and asters for the last time.

15) Deadline for pruning yews and planting gladiolus. It's now - or wait till next year.

16) Harvest okra when pods are no more than two inches long or they'll get woody.

17) Disbud dahlias by snipping off the small side buds. The sacrifice is worth it - you'll get bigger blooms.

18) Weed, weed, weed. It's easier after a rain or your sprinkler has moistened the ground.

19) Prep garden for your vacation. Make sure everything is weeded and well-watered.