July Gardening Checklist for Philadelphia

1. Plant Fall Crops

From early- to mid-July, you can plant carrots, beets, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, spinach, and other lettuces. Planting these now will give you a great start on a fall vegetable garden that’s filled with produce. This month is also a good time to plant winter squash. Check out Johnny’s Selected Seed for some wild-looking winter squash and gourd varieties.

2. Use Hanging Baskets; Get Points for Style

Hanging baskets are a great way to make the most of the space you have—hang them from eaves, patio or porch covers, or even trees. If you’re going for a truly modern approach, look no further than the Hover Dish Planter from Pot Inc. Fill it with assorted succulents for a winning combination. If you like a more traditional look (but still stylish!), head over to Terrain for Zinc Sphere Hanging Basket planters.

3. Fill Out Your Houseplant Collection

It’s great to be outdoors in July, but sometimes you just want to be inside to get out of the heat and sun. That doesn’t mean your horticultural endeavors have to cease. Add to your houseplant collection by propagating plants you already have (see this video guide). When selecting new varieties, shop for some offbeat but still easy-to-grow houseplants from Logee’s. They also sell a number of interesting tropicals that can be grown as houseplants.

4. Try a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant

Every year the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) selects gold medal plants with exceptional traits such as beauty, growing performance, and hardiness in Zones 5 through 7. The winners are often excellent in pest and disease resistance, easy to grow, and easy to maintain. They can also be selected for their beauty through the seasons, bark, foliage, flowers, or form (shape) of the plant. You can plant some of the selections now, while you should plant others in fall or spring.

5. Water Well, Especially New Plants

Providing deep and consistent water is especially important with newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials. The root zones of these plants need at least 1 inch of water per week to be healthy. If you don’t get summer rain and it gets hot where you are, be sure your new plants get the water they need. You can do your deep watering by hand with either a soaker hose or a flood attachment with your hose, or you can use a tree-watering stake. Since drip systems often don’t water the entire root zone, they aren’t ideal for new plants.

6. Cut Back Overgrowth & Suckers

Summer has a way of sneaking up on us. Kids might be getting out of school, you may be going on vacations, or perhaps you’ve been busy on garden tours. In any case, gardens can really start growing out of control in July. Stay on top of sprawling growth by cutting back trees and shrubs that have gotten untidy. Remove suckers from the base of trees (including fruit trees). Lightly shear boxwoods and yew to maintain their desired shape. Pay special attention when pruning to dead or diseased branches—you should remove them immediately.

7. Watch your Roses & Take Action as Needed

Roses can be difficult to care for at times. However, if you follow a regular regimen of water, fertilizer, and organic pest control spray, you shouldn’t have trouble with them. Water consistently through the hot summer months. The ground should dry out between watering, but shouldn’t get bone dry. Fertilize with 20-20-20 fertilizer for the last time at the end of July. Liquid fertilizer often works best. Follow a regular spray schedule using Rose Rx. Spray roses every week or two in order to prevent disease and pest infestations. Learn more about how to care for roses.

8. Visit Bartram’s Garden for Fresh Ideas

Not only is Bartram’s Garden beautiful, but there are brilliant ideas at every turn—from a medicinal plant display to a woodland boardwalk to a sprawling meadow. The meadow is particularly gorgeous from July through fall.

9. Don’t Let Pests Get the Best of You

Pests can quickly turn into a big problem in the summer heat. Watch for pests when watering or weeding and remove affected leaves as soon as possible. If an entire plant is affected, sometimes it’s best to sacrifice the plant by removing it so pests don’t spread. If the problem isn’t too severe, try spraying plant foliage with neem oil. If you see snails and slugs, it’s best to remove them by hand then drop them in a bucket of soapy water to kill them. If that doesn’t work, try using a safe bait. If you have a big snail and slug problem, avoid including plants that attract them such as hostas.

10. Bring in Native Bees

Not only are native bees fascinating creatures, they are more than welcome in our gardens for the many benefits they bring. One way to attract some of the more than 4,000 native bee species in the United States is to provide them a home. Find a native bee house at Plow & Hearth.