In the Garden:
Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
Provide protection from direct sun for the first week following transplanting.
July is a month of opposites in the garden. Summer's heat is upon us after our extended June Gloom that kept the garden green and lush, and we're finally harvesting summer crops. But we can still add some seedlings to the mix, especially to fill gaps as we remove played-out peas and sweet peas, lettuce and cole crops, and other spring edibles and bloomers.
Transplant basil, celery, chard, cucumbers, dill, green onions, kale, leeks, summer-maturing lettuce, okra, melons, white potatoes, pumpkins, summer savory, New Zealand spinach, and summer and winter squash.
Reduce Stress to Transplants
Do your transplanting in the late afternoon or evening so plants have the whole night to begin to recover before they're hit with a full day of sun and heat. Water the transplants in well and provide shade from the intense midday sun. Water enough to keep soil around transplants moist for at least a month until they're well-established. Mulch transplants to lessen evaporation so your irrigation water lasts longer.
Beans and carrots dislike transplanting and grow more successfully when they are sown where they will be harvested.
Sow or transplant alyssum, cockscomb (celosia), cosmos, forget-me-nots, gazania, marigolds, nasturtiums, portulaca (moss and sun rose), salvias, statice (sea lavender), verbena, and zinnias. Keep garden soil moist and mulched until they're established.
Also transplant fibrous begonia, calendula (pot and winter marigold), chrysanthemums, crape myrtles, dahlias, daylilies, delphiniums, dianthus (pinks, sweet William), foxgloves, hibiscus, hydrangeas, impatiens, penstemons, petunias, rudbeckias (coneflowers, black-eyed-susans), and salvias. Keep them shaded during the hottest portion of the day, and sprinkle the foliage several times a day for the first week after they're transplanted. Then gradually increase their time in the direct sun over a week's time, when they should be able to withstand a full day's sun without drooping.
Fill in garden gaps with summer-into-fall bloomers, especially alyssum, celosia, cosmos, petunias, portulaca, red sage, vinca, and zinnias.
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