Water plants thoroughly.

• Watering chores are what will eat up your garden time this month. Remember the basics: Water in the early morning. Water the soil, not the leaves. Water deeply and occasionally rather than shallow and often.
• This is a good month to evaluate your garden, really taking notice of what is doing well and what's not during this challenging season. Jot it down in your garden journal or otherwise make note of it.
• When annuals (especially petunias) or perennials get leggy or scraggly, cut them back by one-third or more. It will not only make them look neater, but it also often encourages a fresh flush of growth and/or bloom. It also helps to fertilize these plants right after cutting them back to further encourage fresh growth.
• If an annual flower, vegetable, or herb is sickly or struggling, at this point in the season, just pull it up and pitch it.
• In very warm regions, plant short-season tomatoes late this month or early next for harvest in late fall. Keep well-watered, of course.
• If a perennial is sickly or looking otherwise awful, cut it back to just a few inches. It will come back this year or next spring with healthier growth.

Deadheading 101 -- Keep deadheading. For the most flowers and tidiest garden, deadhead daily.

Deadheading 101

• With heat so intense, it's a good idea not to fertilize roses this month. High temperatures reduce vigor and therefore lessen the need for food.
• Fertilize acid-loving plants and any other plants that may be showing an iron deficiency; for example, young leaves appear yellow-green with dark green leaves. Acid-loving plants include azaleas, gardenias, blueberries, and camellias.

Fertilizing Plants in Pots -- Continue to fertilize containers containing annuals and perennials. Constant watering flushes out nutrients. Feed with either a liquid or granular fertilizer, synthetic or organic -- your choice.

Fertilizing Plants in Pots

Harvesting Vegetables -- If you're lucky, you'll have lots to harvest this month. However, high temperatures can cause some edibles to stop producing. Be patient, keep watering, and wait for cooler temperatures when production most likely will resume.

Harvesting Vegetables

• Continue to mow regularly, your best defense against weeds.