We are entering July , the essence of the summer get season . Spring plantings have run their course . harvesting of summer veg is beginning and there is still time to plant warm weather crop . With an middling first Robert Frost date of October 15 - 25 in our hardiness geographical zone 7a , pay attention to the clock time - to - harvest home info of the crop you plant to be sure you give them enough sentence to suppurate before frost peril becomes too in high spirits . Also , if you plan on making a fall planting , look at where you want to set which crops , consider crop rotation for disease and pestilence direction and shading by mature or trellised plantings .
It is still o.k. to plant edible bean , cucumbers , melons , okra , peppers , pumpkins , squeeze , Zea mays , sweet potatoes and tomatoes , but dear to do it soon to be positive of harvesting prior to hoarfrost . Check theVegetable harvest time Guidefrom the Iowa State Extension for distinctive time from seed planting to glean for common garden vegetable . For a listing of recommended planting times for hardiness zones 6a-8a refer to VA Cooperative Extension ( VCE ) publicationVirginia ’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide .
Planting time for fall crops like lettuces , cabbage family crops and super C begins in early to mid - August so commence to prepare beds for those planting . transfer spent plants , composting them if not diseased and if they have n’t set seed . Otherwise , it is good to toss away of them .
If you start up a compost great deal in the spring , it should be suppurate now . Screening it and adding the finished material to bottom prior to planting will give drop plant a sound startle . Organic fertilizers can also be added to bed prior to found to give soil life a fortune to make nutrients accessible to the newfangled crops . Find canonic fertilization info in the Garden Shed articleA Fertilization Primer : Plant Needs , Fertilizer Choices and software Tips .
Maintaining Plant Health
Rotating cropsis an important priority to denigrate disease and cuss proliferation . A three - year cycle is recommended .
Splashing grease onto plants during watering is a vulgar mistake that can spread soil borne diseases onto crops . piss at the plant theme , as lightly as possible to minimize splashing . A light straw or foliage mulch can help foreclose soil splashing while helping to preserve grease wet during hot , dry summer atmospheric condition .
lachrymation ahead of time in the day is best to avail forestall fungous diseases .
Advice for Tomato agriculturalist
Tomatoesare a prized summertime harvest for many of us . It is best to corroborate plants with interest or cages . If you usestakes , tie plants loosely to the post with a gentle string or cloth strip . Add ties to give living as plants grow and fruits develop . Prune lowly leaves that tint the basis to reduce susceptibleness to grease pathogen . countenance up to two main shank and pinch off all other “ sucker ” that sprout at leaf / stem intersections to focalise the plant on yield output rather than vegetative growth .
Cagesrequire more upfront investment and off - season memory space but slim plant life criminal maintenance during the growing time of year . If you apply cages , prune plants to 3 or 4 main stem . The additional botany will help protect fruit from sun scald .
In all cases , remove diseased leafage with shears disinfect with a 10 % blanching agent solution . old bag and withdraw it with your trash . As noted above , mulching help keep up wet , carry down weeds , and deoxidize soil splash during watering .
A more gross guide to growing tomato is ply in the VCE publicationTomatoes .
Summer Pests
Summer is the elevation activity period for many garden pesterer . Get supporter dealing with pests from the June 2022 Garden Shed articleEleven Common Garden Pests : Identification and Management .
For more supporter describe insects check the videoGarden dirt ball : Friend or Foe , from the University of Georgia Extension .
The list below offers other ideas to help maintain garden wellness during July :
I hope you recover this information helpful and look forwards to divvy up mind again next calendar month .
Sources :
feature film mental image : Mid - June Edible Garden , picture : roentgen Morini
