Summer Gardening Tips

June

Although summer arrives late this month, it's still a really good time to plant. Many late season beauties are available now: dahlias, lilies, lisianthus and begonias are just a few. Landscape plants can also be added now, and this is the time to visit our garden centers to see summer blooming shrubs and trees.
Be sure to water well this summer. Even though we think of Oregon as a rainy state, summers can be quite dry. Especially vulnerable are containers and new plantings. We have lots of ways to help you water effectively - drip irrigation kits, high quality hoses and sprinklers. And our landscaping division installs, repairs or upgrades home irrigation systems.
While you're in the gardening library, check out the many cool and informative web sites you might find helpful. From public gardens to how to preserve all those vegetables you're growing, it's all there.
Most plants will benefit from feeding this month, especially containers, flowerbeds and vegetables. We recommend Dr. Earth organic fertilizers, available in granular or liquid form. Check with a Garden Center staff member to find out what's best for you.
Sumer can bring pests. While we offer standard chemical controls, we specialize in earth, people and pet friendly organic controls. These include live beneficial insects and products to control slugs, aphids, mites, mildews, caterpillars, root weevils, and budworms - the worms that eat all the buds off your beautiful petunias and geraniums. Again, our staff gardeners are here to help solve any of your garden challenges.
An inch or so of organic mulch will go a long way to suppress weeds and conserve water otherwise lost to evaporation.
Spring flowering shrubs and vines, including rhododendrons, lilacs and spring blooming clematis can be pruned this month.
To keep summer annuals blooming, pinch off spent flowers, water and FEED!
Lastly, a reminder about Planscaper®, our free landscape design program. For an agreed upon commitment to purchase plants and supplies at Dennis' 7 Dees (it will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project), you will receive two meetings at one of our stores with a professional designer, a free design and assistance in purchasing plants and materials. Everybody wins, and that's how we like to do business. Call any of our stores to talk to a Planscaper® Designer and see if it is the right plan for you.

July

Long hot days and warm nights make July a great time for outdoor living, but remember to water! Hanging baskets, containers, vegetable gardens, flower beds and new plantings are especially vulnerable to weather stress. From lead free hoses to expert advice, to complete irrigation systems, we can help make it easier.
Mulching can really help conserve water and keep plant roots cooler. About 1 inch is all you need, and we have a selection of garden mulches to choose from.
Containers and hanging baskets will need supplemental feedings. Studies show about every fourth watering, most water soluble nutrients have been leached out of the soil, so use a supplemental fertilizer every 1 to 2 weeks during hot weather.
To keep plants flowering, remember to remove spent blooms.
This is the time to watch for budworms on petunias and geraniums. They will eat your flowers before you even get to see them, so be ready to spray with environmentally safe bt (bacillus thuringiensis) to control these pests.
This seems to be a year for powdery mildew. It affects roses, azaleas, lilacs, euonymous and many other plants. If you notice curling leaves or a powdery gray coating on a leaf, bring a sample to one of our store, and we'll help you find a cure.
Slugs are still out there munching, so another application of Sluggo will be helpful, especially around vegetables.
Our garden centers will continue to have fresh color and new annual herb starts. If your basil or cilantro bolts on you, or your marigolds dry out, well, it happens to us all! Just refresh with new ones and get on with enjoying your summer!
Looking ahead to fall, the best planting season, don't forget to check out our free landscape design program called Planscaper®. Imagine planting your yard with the confidence that you're doing it right and the knowledge your plant purchases are backed up by the best guarantee in town! Call any of our locations and ask about Planscaper®

August

While it’s probably too hot to start a new lawn from seed, begin your soil preparation now. Test your soil’s pH (add lime if necessary), kill existing weeds and measure the square footage so you’ll know how much compost, fertilizer and grass seed you’ll need. The optimal time for establishing a new lawn is August thru mid October in the Willamette valley.
Have you had a bumper crop of vegetables this year? Now’s the time to fertilize cucumbers, summer squash & broccoli for your continued harvesting. We suggest Dr. Earth for an organic, pro-biotic fertilizer. It’s also time to clean up and fertilize your strawberry beds.
Perhaps you or your friends and family have had enough zucchini and want to plant a new crop of fall vegetables– Plant cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels’s sprouts, winter kale, spinach, turnips and parsnips. It’s also a great time for a mid-summer planting of peas. Use innoculant &/or plant disease resistant varieties. Our garden centers still have a great seed selection and fall veggie starts are beginning to arrive now.
As space opens up in the vegetable garden, plant winter cover crops to naturally improve your soil. We have many to choose from!
Mulch beds with Black Forest compost for weed control and to protect plants from hot weather damage. If needed, provide temporary shade for vulnerable or recent plantings. Spray with Wilt-Stop to reduce shock on new plants.
Prune raspberries and other cane berries after harvest; monitor potatoes and tomatoes for early and late blight.
Sit out and enjoy your garden; pick and eat a home-grown feast! Control yellow jackets and wasps with lures or traps but remember that they are beneficial to our gardens by preying on caterpillars and other pests.