I think Merriam-Webster had two choices when coming up with the definition of the word “putter.” The first, and the winner, was “to spend time in a relaxed way doing small jobs and other things that are not very important.” The other was simply “gardening.”
To my way of thinking, they didn’t use “gardening” because some of the things you should be doing are actually very important. The first that comes to mind is thinning your crops. It is a chore that many need prodding to accomplish because no one wants to pull up a live plant that should be allowed to mature so it can be eaten.
Still, carrots, beets, radish, lettuces, cilantro and a few other obvious things planted by seed need more room to grow. If you don’t give it to them, you will end up with tiny, miniature carrots. Beets, will form, but they will never be decent size. Even radishes must be rescued by thinning.
You know how big your produce should be. Thin accordingly but add an inch to the diameter. You can eat those thinnings.
Annuals too, need some midsummer care. Some will need thinning as your starts get too large. You might even have to pull a whole plant; just repot it up. And, lots of flowers have started to set seed. Remove these spent flowers and new ones should appear. At this point in the season, it makes sense to just take off flowers and not pinch the rest of the plant as you want it to produce flowers now, not green growth and then flowers, which is what happens when you pinch back green tips.
Now is also when you should assess the trees in your yard. Start by taking out dead branches. Why now? Because they are easy to see. You can also take out live ones without worry that they will weep sap, which is a spring phenomenon.
Listen to the “Teaming with Microbes” podcast with Jeff and Jonathan White:
Is there adequate air circulation underneath your spruce trees? Providing some helps keep yours in good shape. It is a fine time to remove a few bottom limbs — up the trunk to 4 or 5 feet for a large tree. Remove any stakes and guys that you have propping up trees. They don’t need them and it is not good for young trees.
Do you have dead trees that really should be dealt with? What are you waiting for? More time is not going to make them come back to life. And remember, sometimes it pays to listen to your spouse and get a professional involved. Big tree removal is one of them.
Now is a good time to divide and then transplant those plants that have finished flowering. Lilies of the valley come to mind as do irises and primroses that are spring bloomers.
Of course, a bit of weed-eating always helps your property look better. So does a bit of blowing afterwards to clean up the mess. Driveways can always use edging.
Do you keep notes on your gardens? It is always a good idea to keep track of successes and failures. Now that we have cellphone cameras, it is really easy. Set up a file in the Notes app your phone has and use it. Do so all season long.
And, finally, it is always time to pull weeds as you wander around “puttering.” Those butter and eggs are going to start flowering in a few weeks.
Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar
Alaska Botanical Garden: Mushroom ID Workshops on July 30 and 31 from 5:30-7 p.m. Limited class size so register now. Lots of other things, too!!! Visit www.alaskabg.org and of course, join.
Second crops: Plant new rows of lettuce, radishes and even peas and beans.
Willow Garden Club Annual Tour: The Willow Garden Club is sponsoring its 39th Tour on Saturday, July 20. For complete details, visit http://willowgardenclub.blogspot.com.