07/01/2026
Happy Canada Day! šØš¦ We're Open 10AM-4PM today!
Hereās our top-10 list of what you can do in your gardens this July:
1. Fertilize bedding plants. Warmer weather means more frequent watering & the need to increase fertilization of bedding plants in baskets, planters, & garden beds. Alternate weekly with water soluble Superbloom 10-40-20 and All Purpose 20-20-20 at half strength to keep your bedding plants healthy and blooming. To reduce drought stress, add Orgunique Kelp Boost 0-0-3 into the water weekly at half strength.
2. Fertilize perennials & shrubs. Keep your garden plants healthy by continuing to feed every 6-8 weeks until early Aug. Perennials and vines enjoy GardenPro Perennial & Vine 8-12-16, hedging & other evergreens require Tree & Shrub 14-7-14, & keep your roses healthy and blooming well with Rose Food 8-14-12 following each bloom cycle.
3. Reduce heat stress. Add 1-3 tbsp of worm castings to the base of plants to improve water retention of the soil. Water all outdoor plants deeply and less often to encourage longer roots, and immediately add 2-3ā of bark mulch to lock-in the moisture and reduce moisture loss. Tree watering bags save time and make deep watering easy. Also, add Orgunique Kelp Boost 0-0-3 into the water weekly to improve drought resistance and overall plant health.
4. Seeds for Summer Harvest. Seeds to sow outdoors for harvest this summer: arugula, beans (bush & pole), beets, cress, lettuce, swiss chard, and turnips.
5. Seed fall/winter garden. Seeds to sow outdoors in July: carrots, pac choi and choi sum, parsnip, & rutabaga. Seeds to sow indoors in July: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leek, kale, collard, & onion.
6. Prune tomatoes. For larger fruits, prune out select suckers from indeterminate (vining) tomato plants every 2 weeks once the first flowers begin to open. Find the first set of flowers near the base of the plant and keep the sucker directly below it but remove all of the suckers below that point. Removing those suckers will give more energy to your plant and increase fruit production. You may choose to remove more suckers depending on whether or not you need to control the size of the plant. Be sure to disinfect your pruners between each cut to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. (Do not remove suckers from determinate (bush) tomato plants.) Continue to feed regularly.
7. Monitor pollination. Check the quality of the fruits on your cucumbers & squashes after 2-3 days after the blossom opens. An unpollinated fruit will turn yellow, shrivel, eventually begin to wither at the blossom end, and rot or drop off the plant. Be sure to cut these unpollinated fruits off the plant. To boost & improve yields, hand-pollinate the female flower (slight swelling at the base of the bloom) by brushing pollen from a male flower (straight thin stem).
8. Control mildew on squash. You will recognize mildew on cucumbers & squash as a powdery white coating on the leaves. Cut out the worst leaves & spray the remaining plant with a copper-based spray every 7-10 days during wet humid weather.
9. Harvest berries & garlic. Everbearing strawberries & early raspberries should be ripe for picking this month. Harvest garlic when 1/3 to 1/2 of the tops turn yellow & bend. Dig up the garlic bulbs and gently brush the soil from the roots (donāt wash with water). Allow them to dry for 2 weeks in a shaded area with good air flow. Store in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area at 15Ā°C.
10. Deadhead roses. Remove the first flush of spent flowers from your rose bushes & then feed with GardenPro Rose Food 8-14-12 to support the next flush of flowers.
