July 2008 Gardening Checklist

• Remove water sprouts (from trunk) and suckers (sprouts from roots) on crabapple and other ornamental fruit trees.
  
• Deadheading, or picking off the faded flowers, of many perennials and annuals keeps them blooming longer and tidies up the plants.
  

Sow seeds for a fall harvest of broccoli.
Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau
• Reapply Preen Weed Preventer with Brilliant Blooms Fertilizer every three months to prevent summer and winter annual weed seeds from germinating and growing in flower beds and around trees and shrubs. It also has a well-balanced fertilizer to keep plant growth healthy and flower production strong.
  
• Don’t remove clippings from the lawn unless grass is excessively tall. Clippings return nutrients to the soil and do not contribute to thatch buildup.
  
• Start seeds of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and ornamental kale and cabbage for late-summer plantings and fall harvest.
  
• Supplement rainfall to newly planted nursery stock, gardens and lawns if needed to supply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water each week or 10 days.