VEGETABLE PATCH : The leafy greens are calling for your attention! Sow late summer lettuce varieties like ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Red Salad Bowl’ in partially shaded beds to extend your harvest into autumn. / Transplant young kale seedlings with 18 inches between plants, working a handful of compost into each planting hole to fuel their vigorous growth. / Thin spinach and Swiss chard rows to 4 inches apart, using the tender thinnings in tonight’s salad. / In clay soils, incorporate perlite when planting leafy greens to improve drainage during summer downpours.
ORCHARD : Summer pruning creates balance in fruit trees. Remove water sprouts (vertical shoots) from apple and pear trees, cutting them cleanly at the base to redirect energy to fruit development. / Thin heavily-laden plum branches, leaving fruits spaced 2-3 inches apart to prevent branch breakage and improve fruit size. / Apply a balanced organic fertilizer around the drip line of citrus trees, keeping it 6 inches away from the trunk to prevent collar rot.
INDOORS : Houseplants appreciate summer care too. Rotate leafy specimens like pothos, peace lilies and spider plants a quarter turn weekly to ensure even growth on all sides. / Increase humidity around ferns and calatheas by placing their pots on trays filled with pebbles and water (keeping pot bottoms above water level). / Wipe dust from broad-leaved indoor plants with a damp cloth to improve their photosynthesis efficiency during these long summer days.