California Gardener's July Checklist
Bite into tree-fresh apricots, inhale delightful garden perfumes and continue planting vegetables for a late-summer harvest
This time of year I wake up thinking about watering — sometimes, though, about the Giants game the night before, or Mad Men if it's Monday. True, most of California has had hardly any rain since last Christmas, but instead of obsessing about what a garden most desperately needs in midsummer (irrigation, crabgrass cures, protection against tomato-stealing varmints), wouldn't it be better to focus on the beautiful things during what may be the most abundant and joyful time of year?
Most California native plants are on summer hiatus, by nature dormant for the long, dry summer, but let's give a special shout-out to heat-loving plants from all over the world that revel in the California summer: jacarandas, gardenias, summer fruit trees (such as apricots) and many more delights.
Most California native plants are on summer hiatus, by nature dormant for the long, dry summer, but let's give a special shout-out to heat-loving plants from all over the world that revel in the California summer: jacarandas, gardenias, summer fruit trees (such as apricots) and many more delights.
If you have room for one fruit tree. Where I grew up, apricots seemed almost like annoying weeds — an orchard staple, easy to grow, so productive that people with trees in their gardens didn't know what to do with all the fruit. Little did I know how dicey it is to grow an apricot tree unless you are in exactly the right climate — and what a highlight of summer their ripe fruit (perfectly timed for Fourth of July) can be.
The lesson: If you want to grow a fruit tree, make sure it's right for your climate. And choose one that will give you something special. For instance, do you want to grow a peach tree (which needs careful spraying and pruning) when you can buy such great peaches at farmer's markets? Think twice, too, about cherry trees — you'll have to fight off birds for ripe fruit.
More easygoing choices include old-fashioned plums such as Santa Rosa and figs (prolific but surprisingly expensive at markets). If you live in warm coastal climates, especially in Southern Calfiornia, choose from a whole other group of subtropical fruit trees, such as avocado, guavas and sapote. Check with local nurseries on appropriate varieties, and be sure to study up.
Common name: Apricot
Botanical name: Prunus armeniaca, many varieties
USDA zones: 5 to 9; the trees are fairly hardy but bear fruit well only in climates without spring frosts. Mainly that means California's coastal valleys.
Water requirement: Moderate; the soil must be moist while the fruit is developing
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide
Growing tips: Plant bare-root trees in winter, grow plants in containers any time of year. Prune in summer after harvest. As with most fruit trees, bone up on pruning, fertilizing and pest control.
The lesson: If you want to grow a fruit tree, make sure it's right for your climate. And choose one that will give you something special. For instance, do you want to grow a peach tree (which needs careful spraying and pruning) when you can buy such great peaches at farmer's markets? Think twice, too, about cherry trees — you'll have to fight off birds for ripe fruit.
More easygoing choices include old-fashioned plums such as Santa Rosa and figs (prolific but surprisingly expensive at markets). If you live in warm coastal climates, especially in Southern Calfiornia, choose from a whole other group of subtropical fruit trees, such as avocado, guavas and sapote. Check with local nurseries on appropriate varieties, and be sure to study up.
Common name: Apricot
Botanical name: Prunus armeniaca, many varieties
USDA zones: 5 to 9; the trees are fairly hardy but bear fruit well only in climates without spring frosts. Mainly that means California's coastal valleys.
Water requirement: Moderate; the soil must be moist while the fruit is developing
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide
Growing tips: Plant bare-root trees in winter, grow plants in containers any time of year. Prune in summer after harvest. As with most fruit trees, bone up on pruning, fertilizing and pest control.
Meet the gardenia challenge. If you get one pristine white, lusciously fragrant bloom, all the travails of growing a gardenia will seem worthwhile.
Keep in mind a few things from the start. Choose a robust nursery plant, with bushy growth and deep green leaves — a few buds or flowers are a bonus. Gardenias come from warm, humid Southeast Asia; they perform better in the southern states but do fine in California if you compensate for our drier air and more alkaline soils.
They need a spot that is sheltered from the hottest sun but is also plenty warm. Try a single plant near a partly shaded entry, where you can smell the perfume. Growing one in a container will give you a chance to try various locations.
Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides. Popular varieties include 'August Beauty' and 'Mystery'.
USDA zones: 8 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate or more, as long as the soil drainage is perfect
Light requirement: Full sun in cooler climates; partial sun in hot climates
Mature size: 3 to 6 feet tall and 3- to 4 feet wide; compact varieties are smaller
Growing tips: The soil must be just right: fast draining but with enough organic matter to hold plenty of moisture — mix equal portions of ground bark or peat moss with native soil at planting time. Or plant in a container with a commercial soil mix. Never let the soil dry out, but don't overwater! Feed monthly during growing season with acid fertilizer. Watch for aphids and scale insects. Those are the main cautions, but there are others.
Keep in mind a few things from the start. Choose a robust nursery plant, with bushy growth and deep green leaves — a few buds or flowers are a bonus. Gardenias come from warm, humid Southeast Asia; they perform better in the southern states but do fine in California if you compensate for our drier air and more alkaline soils.
They need a spot that is sheltered from the hottest sun but is also plenty warm. Try a single plant near a partly shaded entry, where you can smell the perfume. Growing one in a container will give you a chance to try various locations.
Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides. Popular varieties include 'August Beauty' and 'Mystery'.
USDA zones: 8 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate or more, as long as the soil drainage is perfect
Light requirement: Full sun in cooler climates; partial sun in hot climates
Mature size: 3 to 6 feet tall and 3- to 4 feet wide; compact varieties are smaller
Growing tips: The soil must be just right: fast draining but with enough organic matter to hold plenty of moisture — mix equal portions of ground bark or peat moss with native soil at planting time. Or plant in a container with a commercial soil mix. Never let the soil dry out, but don't overwater! Feed monthly during growing season with acid fertilizer. Watch for aphids and scale insects. Those are the main cautions, but there are others.
Inhale the sweet smells of summer. Along with gardenias, there are other ways to perfume a summer garden. Just about all of them are less demanding.
Among your choices are annual flowers such as nicotiana and heliotrope. Burmese honeysuckle is a rampant tender vine. Banana shrub (Magnolia or Michelia doltsopa) is an evergreen shrub with an intriguing fragrance much like a banana. Then there's night jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum), a nondescript shrub with unnoticeable little flowers that scent the night summer air — too potently for some people.
Most versatile and easiest to grow of all the scent makers is the old reliable star jasmine, shown here, one of California's most widely used evergreen plants for generations. Grow it as a vine, as a ground cover, in a pot — wherever you want all-year good looks and summer perfume.
Common name: Star jasmine
Botanical name: Trachelospermum jasminoides
USDA zones: 8 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate — it looks much better and has a lusher, deeper color with frequent watering
Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade (especially in hot climates)
Mature size: 2 feet tall and 10 feet wide as a ground cover; 20 feet tall or more when trained as a vine
Growing tips: Pruning can control the size; too much pruning cuts down on blooming
Among your choices are annual flowers such as nicotiana and heliotrope. Burmese honeysuckle is a rampant tender vine. Banana shrub (Magnolia or Michelia doltsopa) is an evergreen shrub with an intriguing fragrance much like a banana. Then there's night jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum), a nondescript shrub with unnoticeable little flowers that scent the night summer air — too potently for some people.
Most versatile and easiest to grow of all the scent makers is the old reliable star jasmine, shown here, one of California's most widely used evergreen plants for generations. Grow it as a vine, as a ground cover, in a pot — wherever you want all-year good looks and summer perfume.
Common name: Star jasmine
Botanical name: Trachelospermum jasminoides
USDA zones: 8 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate — it looks much better and has a lusher, deeper color with frequent watering
Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade (especially in hot climates)
Mature size: 2 feet tall and 10 feet wide as a ground cover; 20 feet tall or more when trained as a vine
Growing tips: Pruning can control the size; too much pruning cuts down on blooming
Lend a paw in the garden. Fuzzy blooms on long stems make kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) striking in almost any situation — in a group or alone. It's especially convenient in summer. Buy a blooming plant, put it in a pot and it will bloom for weeks — or, more accurately, the drying flowers hang on and look good. The hybrids now available come in a range of bright colors: yellow (try it in a purple pot), red, orange, green and more. The plants are perennial and will come back year after year in most California gardens.
Botanical name: Anigozanthos hybrids
USDA zones: 10 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Leaf clumps 1 to 3 feet tall and wide; flower stems 2 feet long and more
Growing tips: For a container plant, use a lightweight soil mix, with plenty of sand. Cut off drying blooms to encourage more, or leave them on if you like their look.
Botanical name: Anigozanthos hybrids
USDA zones: 10 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Leaf clumps 1 to 3 feet tall and wide; flower stems 2 feet long and more
Growing tips: For a container plant, use a lightweight soil mix, with plenty of sand. Cut off drying blooms to encourage more, or leave them on if you like their look.
Try a native tree as a rugged problem-solver. Catalina ironwood is an evergreen tree for your toughest spots. Plant one or more in the narrowest strips along a driveway or create a grove on a dry hillside. The foliage is ferny and the only delicate thing about the tree. White flowers in spring and summer come in clusters up to a foot or more across. The most handsome feature is the reddish brown trunks with peely, shaggy bark — a look of antiquity.
Botanical name: Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius
USDA zones: 9 to 11, essentially a California-only tree
Water requirement: Light to moderate; gets along with little water once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 20 to 35 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Growing tips: Make sure the drainage is perfect. Cut off dry flowers if you can reach them. Prune in winter to shape young plants.
Botanical name: Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius
USDA zones: 9 to 11, essentially a California-only tree
Water requirement: Light to moderate; gets along with little water once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 20 to 35 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Growing tips: Make sure the drainage is perfect. Cut off dry flowers if you can reach them. Prune in winter to shape young plants.
What Else to Do in July in Your California Garden
Keep on planting summer flowers. Along with zinnias (shown here), other heat-loving annual flowers set out now can bloom into early or even late fall: ageratum, bedding begonias, celosia, dahlia, marigold, petunia, portulaca, salvia and vinca rosea among others.
Plant for late harvest. In much of California, you can still plant summer vegetables and expect crops in late summer and early fall: beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes. It's best to choose varieties with short growing seasons.
Tend your tomatoes. In midseason mostly you'll need to control rampant growth by tying, staking and trellising. Try to strike a balance between watering too much (which hurts fruit quality) and too little (the plants wilt). Watch for pests, such as whiteflies; control with organics that won't ruin your crop. Look out for hornworms, gross and so oversized that they almost can munch a tomato plant to the ground before your eyes. Unless you're too squeamish, pick off hornworms (usually there aren't many) and dispose of them.
Houzz guide to growing tomatoes
Prevent and control pests. Avoid plants that are susceptible to hot-weather pests in your area. Petunias and geraniums are an example: In some places they almost always endure attacks by budworms, which hollow out flower buds and leave telltale black droppings underneath.
There are organic controls, but it's often wiser to try alternative pest-free plants; see what a nursery suggests for your local conditions.
Save water. Before turning on the sprinklers, make sure the soil is really dry. Test for moisture by probing with a hand trowel into the top few inches of soil at least.
Mulch as much as you can. To save water and cut down on weeds among flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees, spread a 2- or 3-inch layer of ground bark, compost or other organic matter; gravel and stones also are effective mulches. How to pick a mulch
Care for your lawn. Make sure the grass is getting enough water. Examine blades for signs of wilting and drying out. Test the soil by probing it with a screwdriver. During summer set your lawn mower to cut higher: 2 to 3 inches for bluegrass and other cool-season types; about an inch for Bermuda grass.
Look for bargain tropicals. Nurseries may offer sales on fast-growing tropical plants that may not be winter hardy in your climate, such as bougainvillea, hibiscus and palms.
Prune and trim lightly. Encourage a heavier and longer bloom from annuals and perennials by cutting off faded flowers — especially on marigolds, dahlias and zinnias. Pinch back marguerites and chrysanthemums for bushier growth and more flowers.
More: How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops
Keep on planting summer flowers. Along with zinnias (shown here), other heat-loving annual flowers set out now can bloom into early or even late fall: ageratum, bedding begonias, celosia, dahlia, marigold, petunia, portulaca, salvia and vinca rosea among others.
Plant for late harvest. In much of California, you can still plant summer vegetables and expect crops in late summer and early fall: beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes. It's best to choose varieties with short growing seasons.
Tend your tomatoes. In midseason mostly you'll need to control rampant growth by tying, staking and trellising. Try to strike a balance between watering too much (which hurts fruit quality) and too little (the plants wilt). Watch for pests, such as whiteflies; control with organics that won't ruin your crop. Look out for hornworms, gross and so oversized that they almost can munch a tomato plant to the ground before your eyes. Unless you're too squeamish, pick off hornworms (usually there aren't many) and dispose of them.
Houzz guide to growing tomatoes
Prevent and control pests. Avoid plants that are susceptible to hot-weather pests in your area. Petunias and geraniums are an example: In some places they almost always endure attacks by budworms, which hollow out flower buds and leave telltale black droppings underneath.
There are organic controls, but it's often wiser to try alternative pest-free plants; see what a nursery suggests for your local conditions.
Save water. Before turning on the sprinklers, make sure the soil is really dry. Test for moisture by probing with a hand trowel into the top few inches of soil at least.
Mulch as much as you can. To save water and cut down on weeds among flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees, spread a 2- or 3-inch layer of ground bark, compost or other organic matter; gravel and stones also are effective mulches. How to pick a mulch
Care for your lawn. Make sure the grass is getting enough water. Examine blades for signs of wilting and drying out. Test the soil by probing it with a screwdriver. During summer set your lawn mower to cut higher: 2 to 3 inches for bluegrass and other cool-season types; about an inch for Bermuda grass.
Look for bargain tropicals. Nurseries may offer sales on fast-growing tropical plants that may not be winter hardy in your climate, such as bougainvillea, hibiscus and palms.
Prune and trim lightly. Encourage a heavier and longer bloom from annuals and perennials by cutting off faded flowers — especially on marigolds, dahlias and zinnias. Pinch back marguerites and chrysanthemums for bushier growth and more flowers.
More: How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops
Of course, the tree has its haters, including a number of people who have grown it and swept up underneath it — the constantly falling leaves, flowers, branches, seedpods and every imaginable kind of tree litter. It all depends on your tolerance of chaos and disorder.
My suggestion: If you live in a mild coastal part of California, try jacaranda at least once — as a lawn tree, as a street tree, in the background, even as a patio tree if you have a big broom. It grows quickly and blooms when young — in other words, if you've made a mistake, you'll know it quickly.
Botanical name: Jacaranda mimosifolia
USDA zones: 10 to 11
Water requirement: Light to moderate; gets along with little water once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 25 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide
Growing tips: Make sure you have room for a big tree. Plant it where dropping flowers, leaves and seedpods won't create a messy problem. In marginal climates don't make jacaranda a centerpiece of your landscape — frost can kill it back to the ground. Water it for the first few years, then reduce irrigation. Prune it in winter to control the shape and size.