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Let’s face it: July in metro Richmond is hot and humid. If you’re like me, you prefer the A/C to the sweltering heat.

However, you can’t just let your garden go to seed — literally. There are a few tasks, um, “opportunities,” that take just a few minutes in the cooler hours of the morning or early evening to keep your containers and color flower beds healthy and beautiful.

Deadhead flowers
Remove spent blossoms on annual plants such as geraniums, zinnias and marigolds to encourage reblooming. Cutting flowers for floral arrangements also stimulates growth.

Until mid-July, pinch out the flower buds of asters, mums, goldenrod, and other fall bloomers to keep plants bushy and prevent early flowering. Some perennials such as yarrow and salvia can be cut back now to encourage re-blooming later this summer.

Keep in mind both sides of deadheading perennials such as coneflowers (Echinacea) and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia). While deadheading may keep seed from spreading where you don’t want it, keeping the seedheads of these plants will provide food for wildlife in the off-season.

Water properly
An inch of water per week is required for most flowering plants. Container plants may need to be watered daily. Containers, especially those made of terra cotta or metal, dry out more quickly than plants in the ground.

Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation. Avoid getting the leaves wet when watering to reduce the spread of fungal disease. A soaker hose may be helpful for in-ground plants.

Reduce disease
By late June, the warm, humid nights may have encouraged the growth of foliar fungal diseases in susceptible plants. Destroy and discard any annual plants that show evidence of disease on more than half of their leaves.

You might notice a grayish powdery coating on the foliage of perennials such as roses, phlox and monarda. This is powdery mildew, a fungal disease that thrives in conditions of low rainfall and high humidity.

Apply appropriate fungicides in the evening to prevent leaf burn. For more information about the treatment of powdery mildew, refer to Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 450-603 at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-603/450-603.html.

Control weeds
Remove young weeds before they go to seed. Mature weeds are also more difficult to control. Pull by hand if possible; it’s easier after a rain.

If you need to use herbicides to control weeds in color beds, spot spray, avoiding contact with desirable vegetation. For perennial weeds, systemic herbicides such as glyphosate (Roundup) are absorbed and move through the plant when weeds are actively growing.

For small annual weeds, contact herbicides such as glufosinate (Finale) kill the portion of the plant that the herbicide touches. Remember that these herbicides have the potential to injure or kill any plant they contact.

The following selective herbicides suppress only grasses growing in planting beds: fluazifop-P-butyl 0 (Ornamec), sethoxydim (Segment), and fenoxaprop (Acclaim Extra). Always read and follow herbicide label instructions completely.

Remove insects
A number of different pests feed on petals and leaves, including Japanese beetles and slugs. Add a dusty, scratchy barrier (sawdust, gravel or sand) around the perimeter of slug favorites such as hostas. Handpick slugs from plants in the evening and place them in soapy water.

In the mornings, you can brush adult Japanese beetles from ornamental foliage into a bucket of soapy water. Systemic insecticides are usually not very effective against Japanese beetles if applied in July and August.

Studies have determined that Japanese beetle traps draw beetles to your yard; let your neighbors install them instead!

Replenish mulch
Heat and moisture cause organic mulches to break down; therefore, add enough mulch (shredded leaves, pine needles) to maintain a 3-inch layer around flowering plants, including those growing in containers.

Some plants require more mulching than others. For example, it’s important to protect the roots of clematis under a layer of mulch. Keep mulch away from plant stems to minimize disease issues.

Apply fertilizer
In the middle of summer, your annuals and roses may need a fertilizer boost to keep performing. Add potassium to encourage blossom development.

Liquid fertilizers are especially beneficial for dahlias, cannas, impatiens, salvia, sweet potato vine, petunias and herbs such as basil.

With a little daily TLC, you can enjoy viewing your blooming ornamentals through the window of your air-conditioned home during the rest of the summer.

Note that products are named for informational purposes only. No endorsement is implied, and no discrimination against other suitable products is intended.

Lela Martin is a Master Gardener with the Chesterfield County office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension.