In July, rainfall becomes scarce and the plants in your landscape will do their best to conserve energy and slow down growth. Many times during July we’re busy celebrating summer and often go out of town. Be sure to give your plants the special attention they need this month.
If you are a Dowco client, many of these services on our July Outdoor To Do List will already be scheduled for you!
Outdoor Trees & Shrubs
Selectively prune dead wood, diseased, or damaged branches from trees and shrubs.
Monitor your plants for diseases such as Fire Blight or Rose Rosette Virus and put in place a budget as needed.
Prune suckers from trees as they zap valuable nutrients.
Deadhead flowering shrubs including roses so they continue blooming all summer long.
Avoid planting or digging in this hot month, as it will disrupt the root system of your plants.
Garden and Bed Maintenance
Schedule your mid-season bed cultivation to keep a fresh mulch appearance and allow water down to the root zones of your plants.
Apply extra mulch around the roots of trees and shrubs if it’s gotten thin, to help them hold in moisture.
Clematis, moon flowers, vines and tall plans should have their stakes and trellises monitored for stability.
Prepare to order your fall annuals.
Water annuals and container plants twice daily. Add additional soil to their containers if needed.
Pick your vegetables before they are too ripe.
Lawn Care & Turf Care
Water turf early in the morning to prevent drought stress.
Mow lawns once per week at the highest setting.
Monitor the turf for signs of turf disease and fungus. To minimize diseases, water turf early enough in the day to allow the foliage to dry before nightfall.
Look out for Nutsedge popping up in low, wet spots in the turf
Apply grub control, no need for fertilizer in the summer heat.
When mowing, allow the clippings to return to the soil as they are made up primarily of water.
Irrigation Maintenance
If you are going out of town, advise your neighbors to keep an eye on your sprinkler system. Tell them where the backflow is so that they can turn it off should a leak occur.
Use the soaker hose technique for large or new trees.
Install drip irrigation systems to efficiently water your smaller plantings or annuals during the hot summer. This is also handy for watering container plantings while traveling. If this isn’t feasible, be sure to recruit a neighbor to water while you’re gone.
Schedule your mid-season irrigation inspection with Dowco to adjust the times for summer heat.
Read our blog on summer watering tips.
Other Outdoor Maintenance
Organize and sanitize your garden tools and equipment. Many diseases can be transferred through pruning sheers. This can be avoided by diligent cleaning using Clorox.
Request a quote to build a dry creek bed in areas that hold a lot of water to create an efficient & attractive drainage system.
Inspect your retaining walls for strength and endurance. If they are leaning or caving in, request a quote to repair them.
Reset the times on your outdoor lighting system for longer days.
If you plan to travel, ensure your mail and newspaper are taken care of by neighbors and that your containers get ample water.
Currently in bloom: Daylily, Gladiolus, Purple Coneflower, Lithrum, Black Eyed Susan, Coral Bells, Balloon Flower..
Dowco is the premier provider of lawn care and landscape maintenance services. We are committed to improving the quality of your life so that you can spend time doing the things you want to do! Our full service menu includes weekly maintenance of your property, plant health visits, and modern site enhancements.
(636) 532-9192
