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Neal Holland, longtime horticulture professor with North Dakota State University, was fond of calling July Fourth 鈥淚ndependence Day for gardeners.鈥�

I鈥檓 not sure if he coined the phrase or borrowed it from a predecessor, but the term refers to gardeners being freed from certain tasks that can be discontinued for the remainder of the season.

July 4 is an easy date to remember for halting a few garden chores, and it鈥檚 a transition point of the growing season.

The early part of the growing season (April, May and June) 鈥� with heavy emphasis on preparation, planting and pruning 鈥� is now past, and we enter the last half (July, August and September) as weeds, watering and harvest become top priorities. July 4 is a tipping point.

Here are some tasks that should end around Independence Day:

• Fertilizing perennial flowers, shrubs and young trees, which benefit from fertilizing in May and June, should now stop. These plants are now well-nourished and need the second half of the growing season to gradually slow down, allowing them to 鈥� harden off鈥� by autumn so they enter winter tough and ready for the elements. Fertilizing too late in the season on these plants stimulates new growth that might not have enough time to toughen up, making them more vulnerable to winter damage and branch dieback.
• Extensive pruning is best halted. Light trimming and shaping can continue if needed, but heavy pruning stimulates new growth that might now have enough time to harden off, causing potential winter dieback.
• Asparagus harvest is now finished for the season, and the spears are left to grow, expand and produce their fern-like tops. The summer growth should be left intact over winter and removed early next spring before new growth begins. The top growth helps catch insulating snow, increasing the ability of asparagus to survive winter without damage.
• Heavy rhubarb harvest should halt by early July. Allowing leaves and stalks to grow vigorously for the rest of summer lets the rhubarb plants restore their energy, which is important for long-term plant health. If we continue to pluck off the leaves all summer, rhubarb plants aren鈥檛 able to photosynthesize as efficiently and can become weaker and more susceptible to disease and other problems. After the rhubarb plants have re-energized themselves, a light harvest can be gotten in September, before fall frost.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

• Digging and dividing perennials takes a midsummer rest. The season is past for types best divided in spring, and fall-divided types should wait, such as iris in August or September, and peonies around Labor Day. The heat of midsummer is the most stressful time to interrupt most plants, although daylilies seem to be the one exception.
• Lawn fertilizing should cease during the hot summer months, unless a lawn is kept well-irrigated. Grass growth naturally slows down during summer鈥檚 heat, and requires less nutrition. Fertilize again around Labor Day, which is the most important time of year to fertilize lawns.

Although items on the above Independence Day list should halt, other tasks should continue:

• Fertilize annual flowers like geraniums and other container plants every one to two weeks. They鈥檒l bloom stronger with the extra nutrition.
• 鈥淒eadhead鈥� geraniums and other annuals, by removing withered, 鈥渟pent鈥� blossoms as they fade. Preventing seedhead formation will keep flowers blooming more prolifically for a longer period. Remove the green structure to which the withered flower petals are attached. It鈥檚 not enough to simply pull off the dried petals; we need to remove the seed pod structure, which is different on most flower types, before they enlarge. Many newly developed annual varieties are 鈥渟elf-cleaning,鈥� meaning the petals fall by themselves, and seed pods don鈥檛 form.  

Chris Flynn / The Forum

• Potted trees, shrubs and perennials from garden centers can be planted all summer.
• Maintain a high mowing height of 3 inches for the healthiest turfgrass.
• Eradicate as many weeds as possible to prevent them from going to seed. A single weed can produce tens of thousands of seeds, dispersing them over a wide area, multiplying the weeding chore for years to come, as many seeds remain viable in the soil for decades.
• Take long breaks to enjoy midsummer鈥檚 landscapes, flower beds and vegetable gardens.