Plant a tree, get rain barrel, plant flowers and other things to do in your yard in July
With all the sunny, hot and stormy weather we've been experiencing, it feels like July has been here for a while. If you have a lot of grass, you are most likely getting good exercise mowing your lawn. If you have the time and energy to do other projects, here are a few ideas.
Get a rain barrel. Now that summer is here, you are probably receiving a lot of thunderstorms. If you experience erosion around your house where large amounts of water pour off the roof, consider setting up a rain barrel at the end of each downspout or where the water joins together, where two roofs overlap and pour off the roof. An open-top rain barrel can be placed in the spot where the water runs off. It’s a great idea to have a second barrel next to the first one, but further from the house. In a typical rain, the first rain barrel will be filled, but in torrential downpours, the second rain barrel will get filled. Cover the rain barrel(s) with a 3’x3’ piece of screening and secure it with a 48” bungee cord. The rain barrel water can be used to water the lawn, ornamental plants or clean tools.
Don't fertilize. For everyone new to the area, there is a fertilizer ban in effect now throughout the county, including all municipalities, that prohibits the application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer from June 1 through Sept. 30. To find out the specifics for your area, check out our website sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/brevard/lawn-and-garden/fertilizer-ordinances.
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Plant a tree.If you have decided you would like less turf, more shade, or both, plant a new tree. If you want some ideas for small-growing trees (25 feet tall or smaller), medium trees (25 to 50 feet), or tall trees (more than 50 feet), we have three tree lists for you. If you do not have room for a tree, consider planting a new area with native plants. Email the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardeners at if-svc-BrevardMG1@ifas.ufl.edu for a copy of our Go Native brochure and the tree list.
Flowers for sunny spots. Some flowers that will grow in a sunny location include wax begonia, coleus, Amaranthus, gaillardia, marigolds, coreopsis, lisianthus, portulaca, salvia, cosmos, gomphrena, Melampodium, torenia, coreopsis and zinnia.
Color for shady spots.To add color to shady areas, plant caladiums, coleus, impatiens, angelwing begonias or crossandra.
Summer herbs. Some herbs that can be planted now are anise hyssop, African blue basil, culinary bay (Laurus nobilis), borage, chives (onion or garlic), dill, fennel, ginger, lemon balm, lemon verbena, Mexican tarragon (we can’t grow French tarragon), mints (large variety of scents and flavors to choose from), oregano, parsley, pineapple sage, sage, salad burnet, sweet basil (many cultivars to choose from), sweet marjoram, rosemary and thyme.
Vegetables to sow now. The vegetables that you can sow now for planting in August include beans, eggplant, endive/escarole, okra (August is the last month to plant for this year), peppers, Southern peas (August is the last month to plant for this year,) squash and tomatoes.
Vegetables to plant now. Vegetables that can be planted in July include okra, pumpkin (this is the only month to plant pumpkins and mid-month is best), Southern peas (inoculate with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria for peas), calabaza, Okinawa spinach, Roselle, Seminole pumpkin (our only native vegetable), sweet cassava, Malabar spinach and winged beans.
Inoculate the soil. When planting new plants, be sure to inoculate the planting hole with granular mycorrhizae mix. For established plants, inoculate their root systems with a liquid inoculant. For more information, email the Master Gardeners at the email listed above.
Visit the market. Check out our Brevard County Farmers Market at the Wickham Park Pavilion which is held from 3-6 p.m. every Thursday. Check out their Facebook page at facebook.com/brevardcountyfarmersmarket to keep up to date on the vendors that will be there each Thursday.
Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at sasc@ufl.edu.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: July's heat is no excuse for skipping yard work
