July Tips of the Month

Summer is heating up the Central Coast! Follow our July Tips of the Month for ideas on how to conserve water and keep your landscape looking beautiful this time of year.

Pest Control

During the month of July you can control insect pests in the garden by planting flowers that will attract beneficial insects. Increasing your population of beneficial insects such as lady beetles, lacewings and parasitic wasps will help to decrease your population of insects that can have a detrimental effect on the plants in your garden. This form of biological pest control also helps reduce your need to spray harsh pest control chemicals!

Irrigation

Irrigation systems should be checked for leaks, breaks and output efficiency to prevent water waste, decrease water bills, protect plants from summer heat and provide adequate water for the garden to thrive. You can take a look at some water saving facts by visiting http://www.bewaterwise.com/ or by calling your local water company. You will be surprised to see how much you can save by using water wisely and maintaining your irrigation system.

Assist trees through the dry season with deep root watering. Pay special attention to avocados and citrus, which have shallow root systems and therefore require more frequent watering. Ideally this should be performed approximately once a week. Also, now is the time to increase the frequency for irrigating container plants. As a general rule, a small pot will lose moisture faster than a large container.

Planting

Plant late summer vegetables and herbs (make sure to increase irrigation as the vegetables get larger).

Vegetables: Beans, tomatoes, summer squash, beets and chard. These can be started by seed and they are fast growing! Start to plant lettuces, spinach, radishes, kale, lees, carrots and Asian delicacies like pak choi.

Herbs: Basil, oregano, chervil, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. Sow seeds for dill and cilantro.

Design

Whether you need a spot planting, full landscape renovation, or simply a walk-through consultation, don't forget about our in-house designers. Contact All Seasons today for a free initial site visit to see what our team can do to increase the aesthetics and purpose of your landscape!