ELAINE CERNY: MY GARDEN PATH — Remember to give trees plenty of water in July

With the crazy weather we’ve been having — hot and then chilly — it’s hard to know when to water. Watching the forecasts is about the only thing we can do.

Trees are especially prone to getting too dry, as we tend to forget them. With our early hot weather, they’ll need a good drink. Keep in mind that lawn sprinklers really don’t produce enough water for trees. It’s a good idea to just lay a hose next to the drip line and let it trickle all night.

Other things needing water about now are berries. A lot of these are about to turn ripe and they will need extra water in order to produce those mouth-watering fruits.

And then there’s the fertilizing. If you want continued flowers from those annuals, you’ll need to be faithful with the food. Always use one with a high middle number. This is especially important for potted plants as they can’t just reach out into the soil when they need the food to keep them going with flower production.

Now that the “acid lovers” meaning azaleas and rhodies are done blooming, they will need a shot of that special fertilizer just made for them.

If your lettuce has “bolted,” meaning gone to seed, you’ll need to yank it out and toss it into the compost pile. Another crop can be planted later on, when the weather cools off.

If your irises didn’t produce much in the way of flowers, they probably need to be divided. Just dig up each plant, pull it apart and toss the inner parts. Replant the newer sections which have grown around the outside of the clump. First, dig in some bone meal and then place the tuber on a mound of soil with the roots hanging down each side. Make sure the tuber is planted right at ground level. If you plant it too deeply, it won’t produce flowers. Make sure your location is sunny and well-drained. Now you’re set for the next four or five years of bloom.

If the hummingbirds don’t seem to visit your feeders as often as they did earlier, it’s probably because they’ve got lots of other stuff to eat now. They enjoy lunching on tiny bugs and there are many kinds of flowers now blooming with pollen for them to munch on. In any case, you’ll probably want to continue with the sugar water. It will need to be changed more often now that the weather is warm though.

I’m hoping you’re seeing butterflies and lots of them. For some reason, they’ve been mighty scarce in my yard or I’m just not looking at the right time. Hopefully, it’s the latter. Keep planting those butterfly bushes for the monarchs as many locals are trying to get them established in our area.

Large-flowered dahlias are coming into bloom. If you didn’t stake them at planting time, do it now, being careful not to pierce the tuber. You’ll need to tie each branch to a stake once it develops a good-sized bud. To get the largest of the “dinner plate” varieties to produce the biggest flower, remove all but one bud from that stalk.

Here is some “advice from a ladybug”: Spot new opportunities, be well rounded, keep family close by, and don’t let the small things bug you.

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Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column has appeared in The Press every other Sunday from early March until late October for the past 12 years.