As the sun shines bright and the days grow long, your garden beckons for attention. Summer is a season of vibrant growth and lush blooms, but it's also time to watch for weeds, drought, pests and diseases. This checklist will guide you through essential tasks to keep your garden thriving through the hot summer months.

Water Wisely

Plants need an inch of water per week by rain or watering, more in hot summer weather. Monitor rainfall and water vegetables, perennials, and woody plants, as needed paying special attention to plants you planted this spring. Infrequent, deep watering encourages deep root growth and drought tolerance. Vegetables and annuals need more frequent watering, especially when temps are above 80 degrees. Water potted plants daily.

Stay Ahead of Weeds

Regular weeding keeps weeds from competing with your plants for nutrients and sunlight. Pull or spot spray existing summer weeds when they are young and easy to remove, before they go to seed. Be sure to remove the entire root system to prevent regrowth.

Prevent New Weeds

Garden soil contains thousands of weed seeds that can germinate throughout the growing season. Prevent new weeds from sprouting with Preen Garden Weed Preventer. Preen forms a barrier on the soil's surface preventing weed seeds from growing, providing long-lasting protection against new weeds. Apply anytime weeds are growing.

Refresh Mulch

A fresh layer of mulch will spruce up garden beds, conserve moisture, keep plant roots cool, and suppress new weed growth. Organic mulches such as shredded bark or compost also enrich the soil as they decompose, promoting overall soil health.

Monitor for Pests and Diseases

Keep a close eye for signs of pest infestation or fungal infections. Inspect your plants regularly for abnormal growth, discoloration, or pest activity. Use organic pest control methods to manage infestations while minimizing harm to beneficial insects.

Feed Your Garden, Then Don’t

Continue to feed your plants while they are growing rapidly in early summer with a balanced fertilizer to replenish nutrients and support healthy growth. In most cases, especially with woody perennials such as roses, you want to stop fertilizing in late summer and fall.

Support Plants

Provide support for tall or vining plants to prevent them from sprawling or becoming damaged. Install stakes, trellises, or cages to support plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, and climbing flowers, ensuring they grow upright and remain healthy.

Deadhead & Cutback

Remove faded blooms regularly to encourage continuous blooming and maintain a tidy appearance. Deadheading spent flowers along with any developing seed heads to redirect the plant's energy into producing new flowers rather than seed production.

Perennials such as peonies, daylilies, summer phlox and bee balm are notorious for fungal leaf infections. Others are attacked by bugs. Removing dead or damaged leaves rejuvenates plants, resulting in new, healthier growth. Remove diseased and bug-infested foliage from the yard.

Prune and Shape Evergreens

Trim evergreen hedges and spruce, fir, and pine trees to shape and maintain their desired size and form. Remove only the new growth, not older wood, or you’ll risk killing branches. Remove overgrown branches and dead or diseased growth to improve airflow and reduce the risk of fungal infections.

Harvest and Replant the Veggie Garden

As you harvest spring-planted veggie crops, fill in any empty space immediately. You can replant with crops that grow in summer’s heat and will mature before frost, such as beans, cucumbers, zucchini, melons and more beets. It’s also time to plant your Halloween pumpkins.

Mow High and Mulch Clippings

Mow grass about 1/2-inch higher than usual to shade the soil, slow moisture loss, and protect the crown of the plant from summer heat stress. Leave grass clippings to return nitrogen to the soil. Here are more summer lawn tips.

With regular maintenance and proactive weed and pest management you can create an oasis for you and your family. Happy gardening!