July Newsletter
Hollyhocks and
Hammocks
“Blue July, bright July,
Month of storms and gorgeous blue;
Violet lightnings o’er thy sky,
Heavy falls of drenching dew…”
Seems like all of a sudden it’s truly summer and these hot and humid days are upon us. We’re all done with early season gardening and ready to focus in on soil and plant health with amendments and aerating.
We feel soil is the foundational backbone of the garden. Even with all the rain we’ve received, some soil types need help absorbing all this water.
Part of how we amend soil during this time is to aerate around plants in order to help them with this task. We do this using pitchforks and soil knives directly around plants in need. This allows air and water into the deeper root systems of plants, giving them the ability to breathe and expand. Aerating also helps us when spreading soil amendments this month, as all those great nutrients can sink further into the ground where we want roots spreading for plant health.
When it comes to looking at plant health in your gardens, it all starts with soil health. Plants that are struggling usually are in need of soil improvement whereas plants that look healthy are typically getting what they need; it all depends on the type of plant and the soil they exist in. Soil is like any other living thing in that it needs to be fed, watered, and should be shaded from the sun. It is a living, bountiful collection of goodness when we treat it well and pay attention to its needs. This is where we use the information from our soil tests in the Fall to amend soil based on your gardens and plants specifically.
Other garden tasks this month will include deadheading lilacs and rhododendrons as well as pinching back and staking annuals.
With the weather we’ve been experiencing, you may notice annuals falling behind. We’re keeping our eyes on this and have been making sure to check for signs of slugs or powdery mildew. For plants that have been effected we spray a horticulture oil or spread diatomaceous earth to help prevent things from getting worse and to keep these problems at bay.
Hope everyone is enjoying a long weekend and please reach out with any questions!
-The Garden Life Team
