These articles are written to apply to the northeastern corner of Illinois. Problems and timing may not apply outside of this area.

Yard & Garden Calendar for July July 1, 1999 The arrival of July means we have advanced to the midpoint of summer. Yard and garden calendar schedules focus on active maintenance for some plants and a quiet time for others. For example, July is an active time for vegetable gardens, including maintenance, harvest, pest control, and even planting of new crops. June rains have lead to an explosion of weeds, which need to be pulled on a regular basis to avoid taking over. Some crops will be ready for harvest this month, so be sure to be ready to assure optimum quality. Monitor crops to manage insects and disease promptly. For example, leaf diseases, such as early blight or Septoria, may appear on lower leaves of tomatoes. Remove infected leaves and any leaves fallen to the ground. Try to keep moisture off the leaves when watering. Fungicides containing either maneb or mancozeb will help control both diseases. Look at the active ingredient on the product label for either of these fungicides. Read and follow all label directions. There is still time to plant crops for late summer and fall harvest. Crops include beets, carrots, lettuce, snap beans, spinach, summer squash, and radishes. Keep flower gardens productive by some regular maintenance. As flowers begin to fade, cut them off so plants keep producing more. Water flower beds during dry weather. Crabgrass is also now becoming apparent as rapidly growing patches of light green, weedy-looking grass in lawns. Once established, control is difficult. If plant numbers are low, pull them out by hand. Postemergence crabgrass herbicides work best on very small plants, so it may be too late for them to be effective. Crabgrass is an annual that dies off in early fall. As discussed last week, basic lawn care for July would be mow high and water as needed. Fertilizing, renovation, weed control, and related practices should be delayed until late August or early September. As we advance into July, shade trees and shrubs are actually going to begin the process of dormancy, even though they remain green. Avoid stimulating new growth, so July is not a good time for pruning and fertilizing practices.

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