By the time 9 a.m. rolls around, it’s already 85°F with 85 percent humidity in my garden. Those aren’t exactly ideal conditions for spending hours outside pulling weeds or planting flowers.
Instead of trying to tackle everything, I’ve learned to focus on a handful of high-impact garden chores that keep my beds looking healthy through the hottest part of summer. July is less about planting and more about maintaining what you’ve already grown—and, above all else, making sure everything gets the water it needs.
These are the six jobs at the top of my list this month.
1. Stay Ahead of Weeds
Our recent afternoon thunderstorms have been a blessing for the garden—but they’re also fueling an explosion of weeds.
On mornings when I don’t have to water, I spend 15 to 20 minutes pulling weeds before the heat becomes unbearable. Tackling them while they’re small keeps them from taking over my flower beds and stealing moisture and nutrients from my perennials.
A few minutes every couple of days is much easier than spending an entire weekend digging out mature weeds.
2. Pull Out Spent Annuals and Sow More Flowers
One of my favorite surprises this spring was seeing blanket flowers reseed themselves from last year. They bloomed for months, but after a vacation (and missing a few rounds of deadheading), they became leggy and overgrown.
I’ll leave a handful of plants to drop seed for next season, but the rest are coming out.
There’s still plenty of growing season left, so I’m reseeding those beds instead of leaving empty spaces. I’ve already scattered zinnia seeds—which germinated in just three days—and I’m planning to sow a wildflower mix in another bed for late-summer color.
3. Get the Compost Under Control
Our two compost tumblers fill up quickly because we cook almost every meal at home.
In past summers, I’ve battled fruit flies (I’ve officially banned watermelon rinds, which seem to be prime culprits) and compost that’s become too wet from having too many kitchen scraps and not enough dry material.
Last fall I collected bags of leaves from neighbors, shredded them with the lawn mower, and stored them for exactly this purpose. Adding those shredded leaves has completely changed how my compost performs. Too much nitrogen-rich “greens” (kitchen scraps) and not enough carbon-rich “browns” makes the compost soggy and slow to break down. Shredded leaves provide the carbon needed for a healthier compost pile.
This month, I’ll harvest some finished compost and store it in 5-gallon buckets so it’s ready when I replant the vegetable garden for fall or start next spring’s beds.
Not composting yet? Here are three easy steps to get started.
4. Install a Rain Gauge
One of the biggest challenges of summer gardening is knowing whether your plants actually need water.
Established perennials generally need about 1 to 1½ inches of water each week. Summer thunderstorms can look impressive but often deliver very different amounts of rain depending on where they pass through, so a rain gauge takes the guesswork out of watering.
I’m finally installing a rain gauge so I can stop guessing. It’ll help me water only when necessary, saving both time and money while reducing the risk of overwatering.
5. Refresh the Mulch
Most of my beds are mulched with pine bark nuggets because I like their natural look and they last longer than many other mulch options.
I skipped refreshing the mulch last year, and it’s starting to show. The layer has thinned enough that weeds are pushing through more easily, and the soil is drying out faster between rains.
Adding a fresh layer this month should help suppress weeds, keep the soil cooler, and hold moisture during the hottest weeks of summer.
6. Check the Garden Every Morning
My final July chore isn’t really a chore at all—it’s simply taking a slow walk through the garden each morning.
When temperatures climb this high, plants can change quickly. Spending just a few minutes looking for wilted plants, insect damage (this morning I noticed leaf miners on my lilac bush, so I need to treat that ASAP), disease, or vegetables ready to harvest helps me catch problems before they become much bigger ones.
It’s also the coolest part of the day—and one of my favorite ways to enjoy the garden before the heat sets in.
