July Gardening Checklist

• Weed and Mulch! As the temperature rises and the summer dries out a little, the growth of the weeds will slow down some.
• Finish up harvest of your cool season plants like peas, radishes and lettuce.

• Prepare your garden for a fall planting of your cool season crops.
• If you planted potatoes in March, you will be harvesting this month.  As plants yellow and die back, it is time to dig those potatoes. Otherwise, mulch the potato plants again and wait for the harvest.
  
• Begin harvesting your summer crops such as green beans, tomatoes and summer squash.
• There is still more time to plant another round of green beans, cucumbers, carrots and summer squash. This would be a good way to fill in the garden where the lettuce and peas grew.
  
• Harvest and dry or freeze your herbs.
  
• Keep your annual flowers dead headed and pruned to continue blooming.  Pull out and compost pansies and other cool season annuals that are dying back. 
• You garden thrives with about 1 inch of rain per week.  As it gets hot and dry, you will need to supplement that with extra deep waterings. 
  
• Inspect any new fruit coming on and look for any sign of disease or insect infestation.
• Hand pick any pests and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.
  
• Keep a basket with a loose weave in the garden and ready for harvest collection.  The holes in the weave will help to let dirt and debris fall through, while still holding all of your garden goods. 
• After harvesting, be sure to eat or properly store your produce right away. Leaving them in a collection basket for any amount of time will promote mold and mildew growth, spoiling the goods you worked so hard for. 
  
• Wash your harvested produce in a cool water bath with a splash of white vinegar.  It will safely kill any germs and help to remove the dirt and bugs.