July's Gardening To-Do List

To keep the early summer flower show going strong on annuals, give them a midsummer trim. Cut stems back by roughly 20%. This causes the plant to branch, which means more stems and more flowers. This technique works with many annuals, including petunias (shown), angelonia, sweet alyssum, million bells and lantana. After trimming, water and fertilize plants by scattering some slow-release fertilizer onto soil.

The secret to a healthy summer lawn is to let grass grow longer. Taller grass helps shade soil, which reduces water evaporation and helps crowd out weeds. Taller grass also has deeper roots, which yields greater drought tolerance. Learn what kind of turf you have, and check with your local extension office to determine the proper mowing height. Time mowing to remove just one-third of total grass blade length. Vary your mowing patterns to avoid compacting soil.

Summer heat spoils hummingbird nectar quickly. Clean and refill feeders regularly, maybe as often as every two to three days. If the solution is cloudy, it needs to be replaced. A simple recipe for hummingbird nectar is four parts water to one part sugar, or 1 cup water to 1/4 cup sugar. Boiling the solution isn’t necessary, but will slow fermentation by at least 24 hours. Avoid using red dye. In areas with desert heat, water evaporation can quickly concentrate your 4:1 solution to 3:1 or 2:1, which will cause hummers to avoid the feeder.

In established strawberry beds, choose the plants that will bear next year’s crop. First, select the largest, strongest plants. Second, remove any remaining plants — including runners — that grew over the last year. Third, water and fertilize these plants the rest of the growing season. Mulch exposed soil to help retain moisture through summer heat. Tending plants well this year is the secret to a heavy berry crop next year.