What Are July Garden Tasks?
Beat Summer Heat
Summer has arrived and in Sacramento, July is the hottest month of the year, bringing average daily high temps between 93°F to 94°F. But don't despair, there is still much to do in the garden this month: protect your plant investments from sun and heat, water smart, and check in on veggie harvests often.
Protect From Sun
July’s intense sun can scorch and damage tree trunks, especially maple and fruit trees, causing bark to crack, split, or dry out. Prevent damage by applying a tree wrap for protection from the sun.
Good Bugs
Attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and green lacewings to your garden by planting dill, yarrow, cosmos, or coneflowers. These beautiful blooms bring in good bugs to keep pests in check.
Fine Vines
Keep vines looking their best by removing dead growth and reinforcing trellises to support strong summer growth. Use a vinyl stretch tie to gently secure new vines without damaging tender stems.
Water Smart
Water early! Beat the heat so moisture goes to your plants, not the air. Even better, it turns your morning coffee routine into garden time.
Summer Blooms
Freshen up your patio containers, hanging baskets, or bare garden spots with heat-tolerant annuals like vinca, zinnia, marigold, petunia, and ageratum.
Pest Check
Heat brings spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies, so be sure to check plants regularly.
Other Timely Tasks for July
- Stop blossom end rot before it starts! Keep tomatoes and peppers healthy and productive by watering consistently.
- Keep your garden buzzing and chirping by adding water for pollinators and birds. Bird baths, fountains, or shallow dishes all work—just refresh weekly to keep it clean and mosquito-free.
- Harvest beans, squash, and cucumbers often so they don’t grow oversized and slow down production.
- Lift your pots with pot feet to keep roots cooler by letting air circulate underneath, preventing summer “root cook.”
- Direct-seed corn, pumpkins, winter squash, and sunflowers.
- Keep houseplants happy in July. Soil dries fast, air gets dry, and A/C can stress plants. Check moisture daily, watering when the top 1" of soil feels dry, and boost humidity with a humidifier or a tray filled with pebbles and water.
