July Gardening Tasks for Low Desert Arizona Gardens

Gardening within the low desert of Arizona throughout July is troublesome. Discover ways to maximize your Arizona backyard’s potential in July and navigate the challenges of scorching climate to make sure your crops’ survival. Preserve studying to study which duties to do, how a lot to water, and which pests could present up. I’ve additionally included a useful “July Backyard Job Guidelines.”

For details about what to plant and harvest within the low desert throughout July, please see my planting guides or this weblog submit, “What to Plant and Harvest in July: Low Desert of Arizona.”

Arizona Backyard in July Guidelines:

Click on on the title to leap to that part and study extra about what to do throughout July:

What To Do within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

July is often the most popular month within the low desert. Monsoons could deliver humidity and moisture, however they could not. It’s important to concentrate to your crops’ watering wants this month. The common temperature is 107°F (41.6°C), and the common rainfall is 1.22 inches. If you’re within the backyard this month, bear in mind to work outdoors within the cooler morning and night hours and keep hydrated. Low desert contains elevations beneath 3500 ft within the Southwest, such because the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

Vegetable Gardening within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

A number of keys to gardening throughout July within the low desert embody:

Vegetable backyard duties throughout July:

Put together for monsoon winds by staking roselle crops, massive sunflowers, and different crops requiring further help. This weblog submit explains extra about monsoon gardening.

Contemplate planting candy potato slips or black-eyed peas as a canopy crop in any empty beds. Be taught extra on this weblog submit.

Fertilize candy potatoes with a balanced fertilizer. 

Filter squash and different crops which have stopped producing or present indicators of warmth stress and illness to make room for monsoon and fall planting.

Don’t prune or fertilize most crops. Most should be in summer season dormancy to outlive. Pruning can expose new areas to daylight harm, and fertilizing may cause stress. 

Bell peppers can get sunburned if fruits get direct solar; present some shade if scalding is an issue. 

Tomatoes could also be ending up. Take away spent or diseased crops. Notice which varieties you appreciated and which did properly. If tomato crops nonetheless look wholesome, allow them to keep within the backyard and preserve them alive. They are going to produce once more when temperatures fall.

Cucumber manufacturing slows and even stops this month as temperatures warmth up. Pull crops if obligatory if cucumbers are bitter or pests or illnesses are a problem. Plant Armenian cucumbers of their place.

Pot up any indoor-grown seedlings outgrowing their containers if it’s not time to plant them outdoors. Fertilize indoor-grown seedlings each different watering.

If you happen to haven’t already, order garlic and different fall-planted bulbs like ranunculus and anemone. Additionally, order prechilled tulip bulbs to plant at Thanksgiving and saffron crocus if you wish to develop the world’s costliest spice.

Undergo your seeds and plan for fall and winter planting. 

Onion blooms have developed seeds. Save them and check out rising your personal from seed. You can even save bolted parsley and dill seeds.

Vegetable Watering Pointers:

Hopefully, monsoon humidity and added moisture will come to the low desert this month. A rain gauge helps measure how a lot rain you obtain. If you happen to measure .5 inches of rain, verify that the rain penetrated your soil after which flip off your water timer. You can even insert a screwdriver into grass or rocks to find out whether or not to water. If it passes simply into the soil, you’ll be able to wait to water. Monitor crops for indicators of stress and guarantee they get sufficient water and have good drainage.  

Throughout scorching climate, annual greens want extra frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches each 2-3 days, permitting the highest of the soil to dry out earlier than watering once more. 

Throughout July, I often water my raised beds each different day. I take advantage of the backyard grids from Backyard in Minutes to water my raised beds. Use code Angela10 to save lots of $10 off $100 or GITG5 to save lots of 5 % on any dimension order.

If you happen to haven’t already, verify the irrigation system and timer. Run the system; examine all drips and sprinklers for leaks and correct watering. 

My July Backyard Journals

Low Desert Arizona in July: Pests & Wildlife to Watch Out For This Month

Monitor crops for pests and illnesses. Eradicating crops is usually higher than treating them if crops are struggling or overwhelmed with pests. The warmth is disturbing for crops – they in all probability gained’t recuperate if overtaken. 

Frequent Pests Throughout July:

You might even see circles lower out from leaves on roses, pomegranates, and different crops. Leaf-cutter bees are accountable and use the leaves to construct their nests. It’s beauty harm solely and nothing to fret about. These solitary bees are glorious pollinators.

Monitor squash and melon crops for squash bugs in all phases: adults, eggs, and nymphs. This submit will educate you extra about stopping and controlling squash bugs.

Three-lined potato bugs are a standard nuisance on tomatillos and floor cherries. If noticed, verify crops a number of occasions a day. Preserve a soapy bucket useful to drop them into. If numbers improve or get out of hand, contemplate pulling the plant.

Leaf miners on cantaloupe or different melons. Take away broken leaves.

You should still have aphids or chrysanthemum lace bugs on sunflowers, however hopefully, useful bugs like lacewings and ladybugs will maintain them for you. If not, you’ll be able to take away broken leaves and spray them with water.

Spider mites are frequent on beans, particularly in scorching, dry circumstances. This weblog submit explains stop and deal with them.

If rollie-pollies are consuming seedlings (they particularly love beans) earlier than they sprout, an efficient answer is to sprinkle a small quantity of this slug and snail bait if you plant. It’s iron phosphate with an attractant for slugs. It’s non-toxic to worms and secure to make use of.

Monitor tomato, pepper, and eggplants for tomato hornworms. If you happen to see insect frass (droppings) or eaten leaves, look intently for hornworms. Handpick and feed to chickens.

Monitor pomegranate bushes for all phases of leaf-footed bugs. If noticed, each day vigilance and dropping them right into a bucket of soapy water are efficient options to this troublesome pest.

Different frequent pests embody katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. Birds and spiders are pure predators.

Milkweed and different seed bugs are frequent on seed pods and greatest left untreated; they often don’t trigger harm.

Wildlife and Helpful Bugs:

Throughout July, the hum of cicadas usually fills the air. They emerge from the soil and love heat, humid temperatures. Cicadas are Essential pollinators and a meals supply for different animals.

Lovebirds and lesser goldfinch are generally seen on sunflowers this time of 12 months. They love the seeds, and the lesser goldfinch additionally get pleasure from consuming the leaves.

Bees, hoverflies, wasps, lacewings, praying mantids, syrphid flies, parasitic wasps, murderer bugs, and different useful bugs are lively now.

Different wildlife could embody lizards, hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths.

Preserve your chickens cool by offering water for them to face in. Contemplate including a misting stand. Retaining them hydrated with further cucumbers and watermelon may also assist. 

Low Desert Arizona in July: Container Gardening Suggestions

If potential, put small containers away till the autumn. Use the soil from the containers as mulch or add to compost.

Transfer containers to areas of your yard that obtain afternoon shade naturally.

Group containers and develop luggage shut collectively for an insulating impact.

Container Watering Pointers:

As temperatures warmth up, monitoring containers intently and watering usually is essential. You’ll have to water day-after-day. If you happen to’re undecided, use a moisture meter to verify soil moisture ranges.

If containers dry out an excessive amount of, the soil could grow to be hydrophobic. When watering, verify the soil to make sure water is absorbed and never repelled by hydrophobic soil.

Throughout July, I often water my containers each different day and replenish the ollas every time I water. Including ollas to containers helps with watering through the summer season. I take advantage of ollas from Growoya. For a reduction, use code GROWING.

Flower Gardening within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

Arizona gardening in July wouldn’t be the identical with out sunflowers! I really like this branching selection. They’re all over the place in my yard, and I really like them. There are various causes to plant sunflowers: they supply shade, can be utilized as a trellis, appeal to wildlife and pollinators, and are easy to develop from seed in practically any spot in your yard.

Rudbeckia attracts pollinators, grows properly from seed, and makes a superb lower flower.

Tithonia is a heat-loving favourite that additionally makes a superb cowl crop.

Globe Amaranth thrives within the warmth with constant watering. I like to reap the flowers for lower flowers. I’ve planted them in my flower beds and all through my backyard beds to draw pollinators.

Reduce spent hollyhocks and save the seeds this month. Go away the roots in place.

Zinnias are a champion of Arizona gardening in July. Give them constant moisture, and benefit from the pretty blooms! They’re additionally glorious lower flowers.

Flower Watering Pointers:

As temperatures warmth up, annual flowers will want extra frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches each 2-4 days; permit the highest of the soil to dry out earlier than watering once more.

Fruit & Fruit Bushes within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

Fertilize blackberries with a balanced fertilizer. 

If you happen to haven’t already, mulch your bushes properly. Including worm castings, compost, and mulch 3 times a 12 months will put together and assist your bushes from excessive summer season temperatures. Be taught extra on this weblog submit. Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are the very best occasions to do that. Nonetheless, it’s useful at any time of 12 months and won’t burn crops.

Preserve fruit picked as much as discourage bugs and pests.

Pomegranates could drop some fruit this month. Learn this text for extra details about develop pomegranates.

Anna’s apple harvests end up this month. Fruit left too lengthy on the plant could prepare dinner! Harvest and produce indoors. Listed here are our favourite recipes to make use of Anna apples.

Monitor grapes and blackberries for harvest readiness. Cowl to guard from birds if obligatory.

Shade newly planted fruit bushes to assist them survive their first summer season. Monitor watering intently.

Citrus:

Citrus is creating on all of the citrus bushes all through the yard. Final month, the bushes self-thinned, and the fruit that’s left on the tree is rising properly. Citrus bushes respect the monsoon rains and better humidity this month.

Paint or wrap any trunks uncovered to daylight to guard them from harm. Any water-based paint works to color citrus. I want utilizing tree wraps over paint. It’s like carrying sunscreen versus a swim shirt. The wrap provides higher safety.

Fruit Watering Pointers: 1, 2

Monitor your fruit bushes for indicators of water stress. Leaf curling is often the primary noticeable signal. Moist the soil from the tree trunk to simply previous the tree’s drip line.

Established citrus bushes ought to be watered as soon as each 7-14 days to a 2-3 ft depth.

Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.

Water established fruit bushes each 7-10 days to a depth of 18-24″.

Grape vines want deep watering each 5 days. 

Water annual fruit and excessive water use vines each 2-5 days to a depth of 8-12″.

Herb Gardening within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

Lemongrass grows shortly within the warmth.

Calmly harvest perennial Herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano. Chopping again an excessive amount of could be disturbing.

Mint doesn’t look nice over the summer season. When temperatures average within the fall it should rebound.

Basil is the champion herb of summer season. The extra you harvest, the extra it should develop. Use it and protect it by freezing or freeze-drying.

Harvest seeds from bolting parsley, fennel, and dill.

Herb Watering Pointers:

As temperatures warmth up, annual herbs will want extra frequent watering. Water to a depth of about 8-12 inches each 2-4 days; permit the highest of the soil to dry out earlier than watering once more.

Water desert-adapted panorama perennial herbs (like rosemary) each 7-21 days (water to a depth of 18-24″).

Many Mediterranean herbs, corresponding to sage, rosemary, lavender, oregano, and thyme, usually tend to die from overwatering and root rot in the summertime than from underwatering. Take care to not overwater them.

Arizona Herb Planting Information helps you study when to plant over 30 completely different herbs in Arizona and whether or not to plant seeds or transplants.

Panorama Crops within the Low Desert Arizona Backyard in July

Put together for monsoon winds by staking any small bushes requiring further help and correctly pruning bushes and shrubs. If limbs or branches break, prune again to the primary trunk if potential. Be taught extra about getting ready for monsoons on this weblog submit.

Tecoma is in full bloom and doesn’t thoughts the warmth. Hummingbirds and pollinators find it irresistible.

Yellow Dot is a vigorous floor cowl that grows quickly in well-drained soil and might develop in full solar or shady areas.

Decorative Candy Potato Vine is a quick grower out there in a number of colours. . Be taught extra about  develop candy potato vine on this article.

July isn’t the month to prune or fertilize panorama crops, bushes, and shrubs. Pruning and fertilizing encourage new development and expose new areas to damaging daylight, which is disturbing for crops when temperatures are above 100°F (38°C).

If crops die, don’t substitute them. As an alternative, go searching at different crops in your neighborhood rising properly for alternative concepts. For desert-adapted crops that require much less water, verify this information, Panorama Crops for the Arizona Desert. Wait to plant till the autumn.

If stinknet sprouts in your yard, pull it and get rid of it so the seeds don’t unfold.

Palms are an exception to planting. They develop and get established greatest in heat soils, and July is an effective month to plant them.

If you’re contemplating eradicating Bermuda grass, July is a wonderful time. Be taught extra on this weblog submit.

Present shade for brand new plantings (lower than 1 12 months outdated) in the event that they present indicators of stress, and monitor the basis ball to make sure it doesn’t dry out. This weblog submit discusses alternative ways to supply shade.

Panorama Watering Pointers: 1

Water twice as lengthy not less than as soon as. Plan one extra-long watering this month to flush the collected salt buildup deeper into the soil.

Desert-adapted bushes, shrubs & vines each 7-21 days (water to a depth of 24-36″ bushes / 18-24″ shrubs / 8-12″ vines).

Excessive water use bushes each 7-10 days (water to a depth of 18-24″).

Excessive water use shrubs each 5-7 days (water to a depth of 8-12″).

Excessive water use vines each 2-5 days (water to a depth of 8-12″).

Sources:

1 – For added data on watering practices, go to: “Affiliation of Municipal Water Customers Authority. (2023). Landscaping with Type within the Arizona Desert.” https://www.amwua.org/landscaping-with-style.

2 – https://extension.arizona.edu/websites/extension.arizona.edu/recordsdata/pubs/az1151-2021percent20percent282percent29.pdf

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