July is when Colorado gardens either thrive…or start sending distress signals.
The days are long, the sun is intense, and gardeners have one tendency this month: we panic and start doing too much.
Remember, July is all about maintenance, observation, and watering wisely.
Here are a dozen things I’m doing in my own garden this month.
1. Water deeply, not daily.
July is when Colorado gardens either thrive…or start sending distress signals.
The days are long, the sun is intense, and gardeners have one tendency this month: we panic and start doing too much.
Remember, July is all about maintenance, observation, and watering wisely.
Here are a dozen things I’m doing in my own garden this month.
1. Water deeply, not daily.
One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make in July is giving plants a quick drink every day.
Deep watering encourages deeper roots, which means stronger plants when the real heat arrives.
Water less often, but water thoroughly.
2. Don’t trust Mother Nature to do your watering.
That afternoon thunderstorm may look impressive, but don’t assume your plants received enough moisture.
Grab a screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it doesn’t easily penetrate 6 inches, it’s time to water.
3. Deadhead your annuals.
Petunias, geraniums, calibrachoa, and other annuals will keep producing flowers if you remove spent blooms.
Think of deadheading as telling the plant, “Your job isn’t finished yet.”
4. Give hanging baskets and patio pots a little extra attention.
Those beautiful baskets and planters you planted in May are working overtime right now.
Frequent watering rinses nutrients from the potting soil.
Fertilize every 7 to 10 days with a water soluble fertilizer. They’re hungry this time of year.
5. Keep pulling weeds before they go to seed.
One weed allowed to mature can create thousands of future headaches.
July is not the month to ignore them.
Ten minutes a day now will save hours next spring.
Cover bare soil with mulch.
6. Stop pruning spring flowering shrubs.
Forsythia, lilacs and other spring bloomers are already setting next year’s flower buds.
Put the pruners away or you’ll be removing next year’s flowers.
7. Harvest vegetables often.
The more you pick beans, cucumbers, and zucchini, the more they’ll produce.
And trust me, zucchini can become baseball bats overnight.
Check them every day.
8. Feed your roses.
Early to mid July is a great time for another application of fertilizer for roses here in Colorado.
It will fuel a burst of flowers as the weather cools in late summer and early autumn.
9. Watch for spider mites.
Hot, dusty weather is spider mite weather.
Pay special attention to spruce, juniper and burning bush.
If you see stippling or webbing, blast the foliage with a strong stream of water.
Heavy infestations can be sprayed with Spinosad Soap.
10. Add mulch where you can.
Two inches of mulch is like air conditioning for your soil.
It conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and keeps soil temperatures more consistent.
Your plants will thank you.
11. Take pictures of your garden.
This sounds simple, but it’s one of the smartest things you can do.
Take photos now while everything is growing.
By winter, you’ll know exactly where you have empty spaces and where you may have planted something too close together.
12. Don’t forget to enjoy your garden.
I know…there’s always something that needs to be done.
But July is why we garden.
The flowers are blooming, the hummingbirds are active, tomatoes are growing and pollinators are everywhere.
Take a cup of coffee outside in the morning or a glass of iced tea in the evening and simply enjoy what you’ve created.
Remember, gardening isn’t another chore on the list.
It’s supposed to be therapy.
Happy Gardening!
Keith “The Garden Wise Guy” Funk
One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make in July is giving plants a quick drink every day.
Deep watering encourages deeper roots, which means stronger plants when the real heat arrives.
Water less often, but water thoroughly.
2. Don’t trust Mother Nature to do your watering.
That afternoon thunderstorm may look impressive, but don’t assume your plants received enough moisture.
Grab a screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it doesn’t easily penetrate 6 inches, it’s time to water.
3. Deadhead your annuals.
Petunias, geraniums, calibrachoa, and other annuals will keep producing flowers if you remove spent blooms.
Think of deadheading as telling the plant, “Your job isn’t finished yet.”
4. Give hanging baskets and patio pots a little extra attention.
Those beautiful baskets and planters you planted in May are working overtime right now.
Frequent watering rinses nutrients from the potting soil.
Fertilize every 7-10 days with a water-soluble fertilizer. They’re hungry this time of year.
5. Keep pulling weeds before they go to seed.
One weed allowed to mature can create thousands of future headaches.
July is not the month to ignore them.
Ten minutes a day now will save hours next spring.
Cover bare soil with mulch.
6. Stop pruning spring flowering shrubs.
Forsythia, lilacs and other spring bloomers are already setting next year’s flower buds.
Put the pruners away or you’ll be removing next year’s flowers.
7. Harvest vegetables often.
The more you pick beans, cucumbers, and zucchini, the more they’ll produce.
And trust me, zucchini can become baseball bats overnight.
Check them every day.
8. Feed your roses.
Early to mid-July is a great time for another application of fertilizer for roses here in Colorado.
It will fuel a burst of flowers as the weather cools in late summer and early autumn.
9. Watch for spider mites.
Hot, dusty weather is spider mite weather.
Pay special attention to spruce, juniper and burning bush.
If you see stippling or webbing, blast the foliage with a strong stream of water.
Heavy infestations can be sprayed with Spinosad Soap.
10. Add mulch where you can.
Two inches of mulch is like air conditioning for your soil.
It conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and keeps soil temperatures more consistent.
Your plants will thank you.
11. Take pictures of your garden.
This sounds simple, but it’s one of the smartest things you can do.
Take photos now while everything is growing.
By winter, you’ll know exactly where you have empty spaces and where you may have planted something too close together.
12. Don’t forget to enjoy your garden.
I know…there’s always something that needs to be done.
But July is why we garden.
The flowers are blooming, the hummingbirds are active, tomatoes are growing and pollinators are everywhere.
Take a cup of coffee outside in the morning or a glass of iced tea in the evening and simply enjoy what you’ve created.
Remember, gardening isn’t another chore on the list.
It’s supposed to be therapy.
Happy Gardening!
— Keith “The Garden Wise Guy” Funk