K – how make plants bloom longer
If you want roses to bloom again, you need to regularly remove wilted buds, capturing a couple of leaves during this operation.
There are plants that can be pruned shortly after the first bloom to encourage a second wave of flowering. This applies to snapdragon, sage, aconite and also delphinium. About the latter in more detail: cutting off the faded stems at a height of 15-20 cm from the ground, feeding the plant well, you can wait for a pleasant flower surprise at the end of summer.
O – faded perennials – care
To understand how and how much to prune plants after flowering, a small cheat sheet will help.
There are 2 types of plants: those that have basal leaves and those that do not.
The first group includes such plants as bergenia, brunner, columbine, geranium, doronicum, oriental poppy, lungwort, hellebore, primrose. Their leaves are collected in a basal rosette, therefore, after flowering in these perennials, the flower stalks are cut to the base, without affecting the basal leaves. Also, to the base, faded stems are cut off from bluebells, lupins, cinquefoil and Veronica spikelet.
The second group includes: spring adonis, dicentra, bathing suit, kupena, buttercup, euphorbia. They do not have basal leaves, therefore, after flowering, the stem with leaves is preserved (only flowers or inflorescences are pinched off). It is cut off later, when it starts to turn yellow. In irises that have faded in June, flower stalks are cut off. Their leaves are wintering. They are shortened only if fungal diseases are detected on them.
Now about the bushes. Peonies are not pruned in July in any way! In the life of peonies, the first month and a half after flowering is an important period for the development of renewal buds, that is, the “blooming program” for the next and even subsequent summer. Fertilize and care for peonies after flowering should be no less than before. Therefore, in July, watering and fertilizing is important. Peonies love microfertilizers – boron (a pinch in a bucket of water) and manganese (a bucket of pink solution water). What peonies do not tolerate is peat in all its manifestations, even in the form of mulch. And, of course, a shadow. For such fragrant beauties, even the slightest blackout for 2-3 hours a day “spoils self-esteem” so much that they can stop blooming altogether. And also, like phloxes, peonies hate waterlogging the soil.
N – New planting healthy tasty greens is still relevant: lettuce, arugula and spinach are in the assortment. If there is a place in partial shade, you can rent a bed for planting biennials: pansies, daisies, forget-me-nots. After sowing the seeds, they need to prepare a “blanket” of covering material to retain moisture in the soil. And, of course, make sure that the “feather bed” does not dry out and is not too damp. Green manure can be planted on the “resting” land: white mustard, rye, sunflower, oats, wheat. And, of course, our good friends have a wonderful healing invigorating effect: calendula, marigolds, nettle, wormwood and garlic.
F – Phloxes are surprising not only for their unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil, but also for vegetative propagation options: dividing the bush and rhizome, layering, axillary buds and, of course, cuttings. Let us dwell on the last method: from the flowering stem, its middle part, cuttings are cut with 2 pairs of leaves and one internode. Then the lower leaves are plucked off, and the upper ones are cut off by half – all this is done, as we understand, only so that the plant gives all its strength to the formation of roots. Cuttings are planted in a greenhouse or pot filled with garden soil with a top layer of sand up to 5 cm. Care requirements: watering, spraying, shading and covering with a film. Roots should appear within two to three weeks.
In the case of cuttings and already mature plants, it should be remembered that phloxes can tolerate a lot, even light shading, but not excess moisture! Therefore, the worst punishment for them is landing in lowlands prone to swamping! But phloxes will respond immediately to loose and nutritious soils – a beautiful long flowering.
I – interesting omens of july
If sweet clover suddenly smells brighter, listen, wait for bad weather. An ant climbed into a pile, wait for thunderstorms, and wind, and heavy rains.
Grasshoppers crackle a lot and strongly, you can’t hide from the heat, don’t expect mercy.
In the evening, moths circle around the flowers, the next day, expect bubbles from the rain.
T – Such harmful ash.
It turns out that feeding with ashes has its own tricks. If you simply scatter it around the site, then a crust forms on the ground, preventing healthy air circulation in the soil. So you can do a disservice by harming plants, soil bacteria, and even destroying beneficial insects. You should be careful with garden flowers, as ash can easily destroy entire flower beds with luxurious azaleas or rhododendrons.
Ash, as they say, can “burn out” the soil, acting like vinegar on the roots and leaves of plants. Therefore, it must be embedded in the ground to a depth of 8-10 cm or mixed with the ground. Remember that the application dose is 100-150 g / sq. m. And it is better to write down when the ash was brought in, because its effect lasts two to four years. The most effective is the introduction of wood ash under raspberries, black currants and strawberries.
Yu – Young turnip
The first decade of July, neutral sandy soil, direct sunlight – all that is needed for planting turnips. What should be avoided is land where radishes, daikon or cabbages have previously grown. And yet turnips cannot stand peat and manure, it can not only deform under their onslaught, but also completely lose its taste. But on the soil after greens, tomatoes or cucumbers – she is just comfortable.
“Grandfather for a turnip, grandmother for grandfather” – remember, like in a fairy tale. An experienced gardener will immediately realize that this family had no problems with watering turnips. Only abundant watering up to 10 liters per square meter is able to please our root crop so that it grows in such a way that not a single bug can pick it up from the garden. So pour, do not spare strength.
R – Reproduce in July, you can bushes, and herbs, and indoor plants.
Alpine herbs, which delight us with flowers in spring and summer, are propagated by dividing the bush. First, we wait for the flowering to stop, then we cut the shoots. And only after 2 weeks we dig up and divide our plants. But, of course, we don’t “chop” into islands of greenery, similar to Korean carrot straws. Each divided bush should be with a well-developed root system.
The second half of the month is the best time for dividing irises. This procedure is best done every 5 years. That is, they planted a bush, it grows with you, and when it hits 4 or 5 years old, we divide it. Only the iris has faded, look deeper. The center of the iris is occupied by rhizomes without leaves and peduncles, but on the periphery there are just links with a fan from 4 to 8 leaves. We take this link. We do not deepen the delenki when planting, we leave the upper part of the rhizome above the ground.
It’s time to cut the jasmine. Choose cuttings with semi-mature wood. For rooting, they are kept under glass, watered and sprayed. Roots will have to wait a long time – up to 5 weeks.
Indoor plants that are crushed in July are oleander and pelargonium. Oleander is poisonous, be careful, wear gloves and goggles. Take apical cuttings from 10 to 15 cm, root them either in sand or in an ordinary jar of water. You will have to wait for the roots for a month.
It would be nice to have time and propagate zonal pelargonium with cuttings. Such young plants can bloom already in winter.