Tips For Landscapes And Northern Gardens For July
July is a colorful month. With many of us, "June roses" are now at their best and so are many of the early summer blooming shrubs and perennials. However, it is also the month when the weatherman really turns on the heat it is the change-over period when the bright spring show tapers off and just before the mid-summer and fall bloom, mostly from annuals, takes over.
Lawns cannot flourish in subsoil and fill. Get your soil into shape now before trying any seed sowing this coming August and September. It may mean hauling in new top soil; or, if your top soil is poor, peatmoss, humus, compost or manure should be applied in a 3 or 4-inch layer, and dug into the top 6 inches of soil. Even good soil should be enriched with humus or compost and fertilizer for best results. Late summer sown lawns should be fertilized in the fall.
If the lawn is to be sown in the fall you can sow a fast-growing green crop such as buckwheat now. It chokes weeds and when dug under adds fiber and organic material to the soil. If the job is started now two crops of buckwheat can be turned under before time for the fall sowing of grass seed.
Lily-of-the-Valley - If it does not bloom well it is time to dig it up and separate it. Dig the area deep and incorporate generous quantities of manure, humus or compost. Add some fertilizer and a liberal dressing of bonemeal. Before replanting, shake apart the clumps into bundles of about six pips each. Twine their roots, and set the plants six to eight inches apart. Water thoroughly.
Divide Iris every three or four years. In planting iris, dig out the clumps and separate the rhizomes into pieces that have three to five crowns or growths. Fiberous rooted types are divided into four or five small clumps and the center is discarded. Just as caring iris, also examine your bearded iris for rot and cut away all affected pieces. The tops of all kinds should be cut back half way when they are transplanted.
Continue Pruning - Espalier fruit trees should have their new growth cut back several times during the summer. Cut back to two or three buds or leaves from the spur. This forces fruit buds to form close to the spurs and also helps maintain the form of the tree. Wisterias that are making a lot of new growth should be cut back to within two or three leaves or buds of the spurs. If a bare spot needs to be filled in let the strongest of the new growth do that.
