Florida Garden Checklist
Texas Garden Checklist

Vegetables
Harvest often for an ongoing supply of fresh produce. Pick tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos early in the morning on the day you plan to eat them. Select okra, squash, eggplants, and cucumbers when they are small and tender. Use sharp clippers or a small knife to harvest these to avoid tearing the vines or stalks. Southern peas should also be picked when tender for best flavor. Just make sure the pod is filled out before harvesting.

• Hummingbirds--If you get tired of filling up feeders, plant some of the many flowers with nectar they love. Four o'clocks, cardinal flowers, summer phlox, bee balm (Monarda didyma), pineapple sage, firebush (Hamelia patens), and lantana are all favorites of these winged wonders.
• Dahlias--Tall, large-flowered selections need support as they begin to bloom. When placing stakes, take care not to damage the tubers. Tie stems to stakes using garden twine or old cloth cut into strips.
• Basil--Keep blooms and foliage trimmed to increase the growth of new leaves. Fertilize with a liquid product such as Peters All Purpose Plant Food 20-20-20 to keep plants in full production into fall.
• Watering--The long, hot days can fry your container gardens. By this time of year, the plants have grown out; their roots are fully developed and are maximizing the available moisture. Water regularly--daily is not unusual. If you have not done so already, reduce the size of your plants by trimming back one-third (this will help to reduce water loss by transpiration through the leaves).
• Roses--For a show of autumn flowers, prune and fertilize hybrid tea roses now. Remove dead stems, and reduce healthy canes by about one-third. Use a rose fertilizer such as Schultz Expert Gardener Rose Food 19-24-24 or Osmocote 19-6-12. Mulch with pine straw, shredded leaves, or pine bark to help conserve moisture and keep roots cool. Water well each week if it doesn't rain. To avoid black spot, powdery mildew, and rust, don't use an overhead sprinkler.
• Seeds--Plan your fall garden now. Review mail-order catalogs, and select flower and vegetable seeds for autumn planting.
• Hostas--This is the favorite garden perennial for shade with big, bold leaves and spires of beautiful flowers. Now is a good time to find them on sale at garden centers. Good choices include 'August Moon' (chartreuse leaves with white flowers), 'Royal Standard' (glossy, green leaves with fragrant, white flowers), 'Frances Williams' (blue-green leaves edged in yellow with lavender flowers), and 'Elegans' (large, rippled blue-green leaves with white flowers).