Annuals 

• If and only if you can give extra attention to the process, you can still plant warm season annuals during the beginning of this month. You must keep the soil moist, daily, for a few weeks.

• Deadhead/pinch if needed to keep annuals tidy and blooming better. (Pinch flowers stalks off coleus to create a lush, full plant. Coleus is prized for its foliage.)

• Keep feeding annuals every 4-6 weeks to keep them looking their best. Be sure to water thoroughly after fertilizing.

• Start looking for new homes around your landscape for those sun-loving annuals in containers that really can’t take our full sun during the summers (ex: geraniums). Offer them a spot with a little shade in the afternoon. Sun exposure becomes a very different thing in San Antonio summers!

• Container plants might have to be watered everyday as they dry out faster than plants in the ground. Both the Texas sun and wind can dry out your containers pretty fast.

• Sweet potato vines are tubers that grow beautiful foliage. Think about adding some to a container as the “spiller” in the arrangement.

• Mulch beds to keep weeds at bay.

• Fertilize 3:1:2 every 6-8 weeks if needed. (If your bulbs are growing gangbusters, fertilizer is optional.)

• Elephant ears LOVE the heat, and tolerate poor drainage. Elephant ears are shade-loving plants that are perennial bulbs.

• Cannas are gorgeous perennial bulbs that offer big colorful blooms and gorgeous foliage. Plant them in full sun.

• Remove seedpods from summer bulbs. Remove only foliage that is browned and flopped over.

SHRUBS

• If planting or transplanting shrubs now, you’ll need to be mindful about watering them consistantly to as most likely, the temps will reach extreme levels by next month. It will be more difficult to get their roots established. Watering will be a priority.

• You can trim off spent flower stalks on shorter, shrub-like crape myrtles to encourage more blooms. (Just the stalks, don’t chop the limbs!)

• Finish up any pruning on spring-blooming shrubs this month.

TREES

• Keep in mind that the fall season is the best time for planting trees. If planting now, watering will be a priority just like advised in the shrub section.

• Palms are an exception and can be planted through summer.

• Crape Myrtles will be starting their bloom seasons (though different varieties bloom at different times…keep this in mind). So while planting in usmmer is not ideal, it IS when you will be able to see the exact color of blom that you desire. 

• Young trees can be fertilized at half the rate you gave them in January/February.

Herbs:

• Once evening temps reach the 70s, plant basil, lemon balm, and mint.
• Make plans for harvesting your cool-season herbs as they are at their peak season this month and will decline starting next month.
• Lightly fertilize herbs or apply an inch of compost and then an inch of leaf mulch, which will decompose slowly and feed the soil nutrients.

Veggies:

• Plan to focus on maintaining and harvesting the rest of your cucumbers and squash; the next couple of months it’s harder to grow them. 

• Plant okra, sweet potatoes, Malabar spinach, and southern peas.

• Mulch veggie beds to help regulate soil temperature and keep weeds at bay.

• Veggies and herbs in containers will benefit from an application of water-soluble fertilizer every few weeks.

• Pot up some of your seeds for fall veggie transplants. You don’t have to grow them inside like you do for early spring. Just put them in a place with morning sun and afternoon shade and keep them moist.

• Non-heat tolerant tomatoes will most likely start dropping their flowers and stop producing when the heat gets too high.

• Remove crops that have stopped fruiting. If you aren’t planting through the summer this will be a great time to solarize your garden.