Fertilize these 7 flowers and vegetables now – feeding in July will give you more flowers and better crops to harvest come fall

Flowers growing in raised beds surrounded by gravel paths in a walled garden.

Both gardeners and plants work hard in summer. For plants, growing foliage, developing buds, opening flowers, and forming and ripening fruits take a lot of energy. They need a helping hand, and you can give that by fertilizing them this month.

Most attention goes to watering during the summer months, which is a no-brainer, but feeding plants must also be high on any summer gardening checklist. Plants can burn through nutrients quickly, which is especially the case when in containers or hanging baskets. Replenishing nutrients in the soil can make a difference between a long-lasting, spectacular display or harvest and a bit of a disappointment.