Use this midsummer checklist to keep your garden growing

You may have planted it in the spring, but that doesn’t mean you’ve finished your work in your garden. In fact, it’s time for midsummer maintenance. To keep things as simple as possible, here’s a checklist that walks you through some important in-season tasks.

Midsummer garden maintenance checklist

Of course, not all gardens apply to your garden, as they are all different. But at least they should provide you with ideas for the types of tasks that could benefit your garden at this time of the year.

1. Deadhead perennial

Deadhead (that is, cut) Dried brown flower head Number of perennials past prime, including those planted on the ground, containers, and hanging baskets. This not only makes your garden look good, but also encourages new growth in the trimmed ones.

2. Address the pest problem

If you notice something munching on your plant, now is the time Know who is responsible For damages before they continue to feast. If you first identify the pest and then choose a method that targets the insect without harming other plants or local pollen maters, you are more likely to get rid of the pest.

Be careful Japanese beetleArrives in late June or early July and tends to return home until mid-August, which can cause serious damage to the garden.

3. Take care of tomatoes

Depending on the weather in your area, some early tomatoes Corruption at the end of the flower. This is especially common when it’s hot, and There is nothing to worry about. Simply removing the rotten fruit can create space for healthy tomatoes later in the season.

4. Cover the ground

Is there a gap in the rotation of the vegetable fields? If so, you may want to plant summer cover crops to help delay soil erosion over the next few months.Includes popular options Buckwheat or phaceliaWhen sudex (Sudangrass or sorghum-sudangrass).

5. Adjust the lawn mower settings

Those with traditional lawns should be considered Raise the height of mowing Up to 4 inches (or larger) if possible. Not only does it help keep your soil cooler, it also gives you more opportunities to recover after the grass has been mowed.