July Garden Checklist

July garden checklist

June 27, 2026

The dog days of summer are around the corner, giving us permission to sit back and enjoy the garden we created in May and June. But don’t put the shovel and shears too far away, because there are many pleasurable tasks best done in early July.

Prune shrubs: Spring flowering shrubs such as Forsythia, Spirea, Weigela, Viburnum and Lilacs should be pruned in early summer. They will set new flower buds in July and August for next spring’s blooming.

Prune evergreens: Junipers, Cedars, Boxwood, Yews and all foundation evergreens can be pruned now to deal with May and June’s growth. Don’t be afraid to be aggressive with your pruner.

Fertilize flowers: Keep your containers and hanging baskets looking their best by feeding regularly. In our garden, Cheryl uses water soluble 20-20-20 plant food weekly and adds controlled release plant food every 8 weeks.

Plant more vegetables. For extended harvesting, plant another crop of quick-growing beans, beets, cucumber and zucchini. Tomato and pepper plants can also be planted in early July. Broccoli, kale and carrots can be planted any time in summer for harvest at the end of October.

Add mulch: Summer’s hot and dry weather adds stress to plants, especially those recently planted. A fresh layer of shredded mulch will suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Make notes: Flower gardens are in their prime in early summer. Pull out your journal now and jot down changes you might want to make for next year’s flowers.

Deadhead flowers: Many flowers will rebloom wonderfully if old flowers are pinched off.

Pull weeds: Not my favorite chore but keeping the garden free of weeds will improve

performance of flowers. I like to do the weeding after a rainfall when soil is damp. Checking the garden for weeds every two weeks is easier than dealing with a garden that has been neglected and overgrown with weeds.

My first Garden Clippings dates back to March 1990 and was typed on a Smith Corona. It was then faxed to the Sarnia Observer, where the editors needed to type it again. I needed to send it on Tuesday to make it in Saturday’s edition. Email made its debut in 1998, saving both of us considerable time.

If my math is correct, I’ve written just under 1900 Garden Clippings. My best article was the one written on how to build an ice rink. It was a hoot, and generated many laughs. My now grown boys were kids back then. I didn’t print a copy of it, and don’t have one saved, because that was 4 computers ago.

I am not putting my pen away for good, but for the next while will stick to a rather sporadic schedule. If any one of my faithful readers has a suggested topic, please send me a message.