{"id":4653,"date":"2022-10-09T06:57:36","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T10:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/?p=4653"},"modified":"2022-11-14T03:52:12","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T08:52:12","slug":"follow-this-summer-garden-checklist-to-keep-plants-healthy-and-vibrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifoxany.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/09\/follow-this-summer-garden-checklist-to-keep-plants-healthy-and-vibrant\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow This Summer Garden Checklist to Keep Plants Healthy and Vibrant"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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These guidelines will help you stay on top of summer gardening maintenance, keeping your plants colorful and thriving throughout the season.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Summer gardening can feel like barely surviving: The flowers need planting before it’s too hot for them to thrive. The mulch needs refreshing to stop the weeds from taking over. After the first flush, the flowers need to be deadheaded to keep the color coming. It’s a lot to keep up with, which is why we’ve created this summer garden checklist. Check off our to-do list to conquer the season with ease, maximizing the beauty and lifespan of your garden.<\/p>

Spread Mulch<\/span><\/h2>
\"Elizabeth<\/div><\/div><\/figure>

Spreading a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over your soil is one of the best things you can do for your garden. The mulch blankets the ground, shielding the soil from the sun and keeping it cooler. That makes your plant roots happier and also prevents moisture loss due to evaporation.<\/p>

There’s not a single best type of mulch. Anything made from organic matter\u2014shredded wood, pine straw, a mix of grass clippings and shredded leaves\u2014will help your soil as it decomposes and adds to the soil structure.<\/p>

Pull Up Weeds<\/span><\/h2>
\"Weed\"<\/div><\/div><\/figure>

Pesky weeds tend to love summer heat and can quickly go from tiny to gigantic. It’s important to pull them from your garden, because weeds steal moisture and nutrients from your plants. Many weeds also encourage insect pests and diseases to move in or take over.<\/p>

Weeds are easiest to pull when they’re young and small; moist soil makes this task even easier. Another reason to tackle them while they’re young: You want to stop weeds from producing seeds. A single dandelion plant can yield 2,000 seeds in a year, while lamb’s quarters can produce 150,000 seeds in a year. That’s a lot of future weeding you can avoid!<\/p>

Add Color with Summer Annuals<\/span><\/h2>
\"Angelonia<\/div><\/div><\/figure>

Once summer heat arrives, many spring-blooming annuals\u2014pansy, viola, osteospermum\u2014fade. Keep your yard looking tidy by pulling out the spent plants and replacing them with\u00a0heat-loving varieties, such as angelonia, lantana, ageratum, coleus, pentas, portulaca, salvia, sweet potato vine, and zinnia. These summer-friendly annuals grow quickly in warm temperatures and will soon provide a beautiful burst of color. Note: If drought, pests, or diseases wipe out any of your summer annuals, replace them to keep the color going.<\/p>

Plant Summer-Blooming Bulbs<\/span><\/h2>

Summer bulbs like calla, canna, and dahlia are a surefire way to add color and drama to your landscape all summer long. These varieties are tender, so if you live in a zone where they’re not hardy, plant them after all danger of frost has passed. Once temperatures rise, they grow quickly.<\/p>

Pinch Mums and Other Late Perennials<\/span><\/h2>

Keep mums, sedums, asters, and other fall-blooming perennials standing tall by pinching the top inch or two of new growth. You can do so up to the Fourth of July. Pinching the tops of the plant typically results in a more compact, sturdy specimen. It may also encourage the growth of more blossoms from the sideshoots, though the flowers typically end up a little smaller and appear a couple of weeks later than normal.<\/p>

Other perennials that you can pinch in May and June:<\/p>