Here is a short 15-minute episode with reminders about what to pay attention to in our gardens in July.

July has arrived and gardening season is in full swing. There are approximately 105 days left in the typical growing season. Of course, if you take some steps to extend the season you may be able to grow crops such as collard greens, kale, etc. in early winter.

Here are some crops you may want to consider growing in July that will provide a yield before the frost returns. Stony Acres Gardening and The Gardening Channel offer options for growing in the USDA Hardiness Zones 5, 6, and 7 before the first frost date. Zone 5 may have a shorter window and zone 7 a longer window but we are looking at a range between 80 to 110 days, with climate change being the wild card.

It does not hurt to reiterate the importance of water for your garden. We often discuss watering and the proper technique, but this video happens to be the best I have ever seen on the topic. Please watch it.

You may want to take a deeper dive into research, but here's a reminder that fertilizing your garden, especially a container or grow bag garden, is essential. Proper watering and fertilization are necessary for maintaining and producing healthy plants. Healthy plants are a deterrent for pest problems as pests are nature's way of dealing with weak and dying plants.

I am closely watching the supply chain issues we may experience nationally as farm workers are not showing up to harvest and prepare produce for distribution to market. Stay tuned for more on that coming up but it is also a reason to vastly and quickly increase home and community gardens as well as urban and peri-urban farms. How we do that is something we need to discuss as vulnerable communities. The recent Congressional action on taxes, along with the attacks on Medicaid, will find millions of people uninsured and unable to access food. Alas, here is another reason to invest in and engage in practices to expand our gardening sector. The need for a care and self-care economy is growing rapidly.

Best herbs for container gardening:

Momzone

Medicinal Backyard

Garden Answer

Please, please remember we do not offer any medical advice, so please consult with your primary care physician and/or the health care team of your choice before proceeding with any herbal or personal health care journey...

I am going to stop here until the next episode when I will update you on the state of the food supply chain...

Produced by Orrin Williams orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no medical or health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.