What to do in your Florida landscape in July 2023

By Teresa Watkins 

Average Temperatures High 92  Low 73 

What to plant:

Vegetables: Boniato, calabaza, cherry
tomato, okra, Southern pea, Seminole 
pumpkin, sweet cassava, roselle, sweet potato and yard-long bean; start
transplants of eggplant, peppers and tomatoes from seed in mid-July.

Flowers: Angelonia, ageratum,
begonia, blue daze, bush daisy, butterfly plant, bulbine, cat's whiskers,
coleus, crossandra, false heather, fire spike, gaillardia, ginger, goldenrod,
impatiens, Joseph?s coat, lantana, marigold, melampodium, Mexican sunflower,
moon flower, ornamental sweet potato, pentas, periwinkle, porter weed,
portulaca, purslane, salvia, sunflower, torenia, and zinnia.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel,
chive, dill, ginger, lemon balm, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, sage, sweet
marjoram, and thyme.

Bulb-type plants: Achimenes,
African iris, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, eucharis
lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, peacock ginger, society garlic, spiderwort,
rain lily and walking iris.

Lawn care

• July is a good time
  to fill in bare or now weedy spots left by drought or pests. 


• Summer fertilizer
  applications are prohibited in many areas; find out what is allowed.


• Weed and feed
  products are not recommended and can damage lawns at this time of year. Wait
  until Fall to apply a herbicide.


• Application of an
  iron only product can help lawns keep their green color where permitted.


• Mow once or twice a
  week to keep lawns at their proper height after normal growth.


• Determine the proper
  height for your lawn type; grasses are mowed at different heights.


• Adjust mower height
  over a flat sidewalk or driveway.


• Mow in a different
  direction at each cutting to prevent ruts


• Avoid mowing when
  the lawn is hot and dry to prevent damage from mower wheels.


• Learn to identify
  lawn weeds and use appropriate controls.


• Seasonal rains often
  provide adequate moisture; water only during dry times. 


• Trim overgrown
  shrubs and turf grass hiding sprinklers to ensure proper watering.


• Lawn moths can
  arrive anytime now; control sod webworms when chewing damage is noted.


• Chinch bugs have
  been active in St. Augustine lawns; control at first sign of turf decline.


• Check for mealybugs,
  billbugs and nematodes in zoysia lawns and treat as needed.


• New lawns can be
  established from seed, sod or plugs


• Avoid sodding under
  trees due to shade and roots; select another ground cover.


• Check your
  irrigation heads for correct spraying patterns. Don?t water the road or
  your house.

Vegetable and fruit care

• Very few popular
  vegetables like the heat and rains; good time to take a rest from
  gardening.


• Consider soil
  solarization during summer to bake pests out of gardens.


• Weed daily in the
  early morning before it gets hot.


• Start tomato, pepper
  and eggplant seeds for mid-August transplants.


• Make sure all
  gardens have daylong full sun exposure and a nearby water source.


• Add organic matter
  to sandy soils and old garden site to have them ready for planing.


• Local compost, manure,
  or commercial garden soils are good sources of organic matter.


• Use only composted manure
  or till manures into the garden 90 days before planting.


• Test the soil
  acidity of planting sites and adjust the pH as needed.


• Remove declining
  crops to help eliminate pests before the next plantings.


• Seldom is it worth
  continuing lingering tomato, peppers, and eggplants into Fall.


• Feed summer
  vegetable plantings monthly or use a slow release fertilizer as
  instructed.


• Many herbs struggle
  during hot wet summers; groom, feed lightly and keep a bit dry.


• Locate or order
  seeds for late summer planting; place them in a plastic bag in the
  refrigerator.


• Give fruit trees and
  shrubs a mid-summer fertilizer application.


• Select fruits you
  like to grow and add them to the landscape; make sure they stay moist.


• Apply insecticide
  and minor nutrient spray to citrus trees at each flush of new growth.


• Keep figs moist,
  feed lightly and maintain mulch to avoid summer fruit drop.


• Prune blueberries
  when the harvest is over; also check and adjust the soil acidity.


• Remove declining
  stems from black blackberries to allow new growths to restart the bushes.


• Give fruit trees
  light trimmings as needed to direct growth.


• Fertilize peach,
  nectarines, and plums this month with an 8-8-8 slow release fertilizer.

In the landscape

• Summer rains have
  stimulated lots of new growth; perform timely pruning as needed.


• Don?t wear out your
  plants; allow them to grow a little or cut them back to grow new shoots.


• Use of hand pruners
  to selectively remove stems or stem portions is the best way to trim
  plants.


• Cold damaged plants
  like hibiscus may need additional time to begin forming blooms.


• Lower limbs can be
  removed from trees that interfere with traffic or work.


• Groom roses to
  remove faded blooms, tall stems, and declining portions.


• New trees, shrubs
  and ground covers can be planted; do keep the root balls moist.


• Pruning time for
  azaleas and camellias is over; continue to prune gardenias and
  bougainvillea.


• Going away on
  vacation? Good time to prune tropical shrubs before you go.


• Remove 4 to 6 inches
  of new growth from poinsettias to encourage compact growth.


• Prune hydrangeas to
  remove old flower clusters and reshape plants when the blossoms fade.


• Hang orchids from
  trees and feed every other week for the best growth and flowering.


• Use easy to maintain
  container gardens as accents for entrances, porches and patios.


• Feed outdoor
  container plantings every two weeks or use slow-release fertilizer as
  labeled.


• Weeds grow as well
  as desired plants; pull, hoe or chemically control as needed.


• Maintain mulch
  layers at 2 to 3 inches with trees and shrubs.


• Delay transplanting
  established in-ground trees and shrubs until late fall or winter.


• Mushrooms are common
  during the rainy season; they will disappear when ground dries.


• Divide and replant
  perennials, including Shasta daisies, gerbera, bromeliads, and many bulbs.


• Trim seed heads from
  spring flowering annuals and perennials; save seeds for replanting.


• Root 4- to 6-inch
  tip cuttings from shrubs and perennials.


• Feed water gardens
  monthly and remove declining foliage and blooms.


• Feed new and established
  palms every other month or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.


• Many palms are
  declining due to diseases; sterilize pruners between palms to prevent the
  spread.


• Leave as many green
  fronds on your palms as possible to keep them vigorous and healthy. 


• Prune hedges when
  the new growth reaches 6 to 12 inches or allow them to grow naturally.


• Mosquitoes are a
  concern when working in the landscape; apply repellents and coverup.


• Empty water from
  pots, old tires and similar containers to help reduce mosquitos. 

House and foliage plants

• Consider low light
  container gardens for long lasting indoor foliage displays.


• Use foliage plants
  in shady areas of patios, at entrances and along walkways.


• Groom and divide
  indoor plants to keep them attractive.


• Trim overgrown house
  plants; use trimmings for cuttings.


• Transplant root
  bound foliage plants into larger containers.


• Make sure new
  containers and established plants have adequate drainage


• Feed home and
  outdoor foliage plants with a slow release fertilizer as instructed.


• Check for summer
  pests of mealybugs and scale insects; control with natural sprays.


• Ask a friend to care
  for your plants during vacation or move them outside to a shady spot.