July is the best time to be in the garden, and we want to give you some of our best mid summer gardening tips to ensure your gardens flourish through these warmest summer months. With our unique climate, mid-summer garden maintenance is crucial for keeping your plants happy and healthy, so let’s get our hands dirty by tackling these essential tasks for keeping our gardens thriving!

Preparing Your Garden for Mid-Summer

When gardening in late July and August, it’s essential to keep up with these key tasks:

Watering: Watering is always a top priority as temperatures soar, so now’s the best time to establish a consistent watering schedule. Aim to water early in the morning to minimize evaporation and check your soil regularly; if it feels dry an inch below the surface, it’s time to water!

Pests: Pests can be a real thorn in your side during the height of summer, which is why one of our most important beginner gardening tips is to regularly inspect your plants for any signs of trouble, like chewed leaves or discoloured foliage. We like to use organic pest control methods, like introducing beneficial insects or making homemade sprays with ingredients like neem oil, but we have a large selection of other treatments available at our greenhouse you can also try! 

Plant Health: Assessing plant health is another critical step. Look for any signs of stress, such as wilting, yellowing leaves, or stunted growth, and address these issues as soon as you spot them by adjusting watering, checking for pests, pruning, or providing additional nutrients.

Edmonton Garden Maintenance Checklist

Now that you know the basics of mid-summer care, let’s talk about some specific maintenance tasks that will keep your garden looking its best through late July and August:

Deadhead! 

Deadheading your flowers is a must to keep them looking fabulous all summer long, especially for annuals like petunias and geraniums, and perennials like roses or hydrangeas. Removing spent blooms encourages new growth and prolongs their flowering period.

Snip off any faded flowers just above the first set of healthy leaves, and your plants will reward you with more vibrant blooms.

Keep it Tidy

Pruning is another essential task if you want a tidy mid-summer garden. Trim back overgrown plants or flowers that look a bit leggy to maintain their shape and encourage healthy growth, and dispose of any annual plants that have finished flowering. This is also a great time to refresh your containers with fall-blooming plants. For shrubs and trees, you can remove dead branches at anytime, but wait until the plant is dormant in the fall or early spring for any major cuts on live wood. 

Feed It

Fertilizing your plants will give them the boost they need to thrive. We recommend using a balanced, slow-release fertilizer, following the manufacturer’s instructions for application rates. If you want a more organic option, we also recommend compost tea or fish emulsion.

Mulch It

Mulching is your garden’s best friend during the hot summer months. Apply a layer of organic mulch, like straw or wood chips, around your plants to help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds.

Special Considerations for Edmonton’s Climate

Edmonton’s hot summer climate presents some unique challenges for gardeners, so knowing how to manage heat stress is vital. Make sure you optimize sunlight exposure in your garden and ensure your plants get the right amount of light by observing their growth patterns and adjusting their placement if necessary. For instance, plants that wilt under the midday sun might benefit from being moved to a spot with afternoon shade. On notably hotter days, provide your most vulnerable plants with temporary shade using shade cloth or even an old sheet. We also recommend moving your container plants into shaded areas during extreme heat if you notice signs of distress. 

Keeping your garden in tip-top shape through July and August requires a bit of effort but is well worth it. By following these mid-summer gardening tips, you’ll be well on your way to a thriving, beautiful garden for weeks to come. 

Stay cool, stay green, and come see us today at Salisbury Greenhouse to stock up on those late-summer plants. Happy gardening, Edmonton!