Garden Center at W Milpitas #1041

The Home Depot 4th of July Sale
Welcome Independence Day with a yard that's dressed to impress. Our big 4th of July Sale can help you get it done. Let your great outdoors help you enjoy the festivities with your friends and family. Get that charcoal grill or patio furniture you've had your eye on and invite your guests to relax with full bellies of delicious food. Save now and use these staples of outdoor life for years of future cookouts.



As summer rolls in, your landscaping and garden will weather more sun and heat than earlier in the year. That means you'll want to consider how to keep things cool with proper tending, irrigation, and shade. Just like we can get sunburned, grass can get scorched, trees can lose their leaves prematurely, and garden flowers can dry out. We've got advice to make it through the hotter months.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're concerned that your lawn has crispy and brown blades of grass, don't panic. It's possible that you've got a cool season grass that's going to go dormant and turn brown in the blazing summer sun. If that's the case, it won't be a patchy brown, but brown all over. Gently pull out a blade of grass to check if it's still got live roots: If it comes right out, the grass is probably dead and will need to be replaced with new grass seed or sod. If the blade of grass doesn't pull right out, it's dormant. That means it's resting but still alive underground. Dormant grass should be watered deeply once or twice a week — if it doesn't rain — but don't fertilize it.

For warm-season grass that stays green in the summer, water a bit every few days and deeply once a week. The amount of water should add up to about an inch each week. Make sure not to overwater, and allow the lawn to dry out after heavy rains before you get out the sprinkler or garden hose again. Water your lawn when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch. You can check with your finger. This might happen quicker than you'd think during heat waves. It's ok to let the grass grow taller this time of the year, as cutting it too short isn't healthy for this kind of lawn.

Care for Your Shrubs and Trees
When you're making sure your garden is watered, don't forget about the bushes, trees, and shrubs. They may need less watering than delicate flowers or vegetable plants, but they can still get parched and dry in the summer heat. It's not hard to learn how to water bushes and trees — just be sure to aim the water at the roots. It'll help grow strong leaves and flowers. If it's a fruiting tree, it'll also help give it enough moisture to put out blossoms and fruit and keep it from turning yellow.

Also, check for damaged areas on the bushes, trees, and shrubs. Pests can wreak havoc on your greenery if you don't catch them in time. Look for leaves full of holes, strange raised scars on tree bark, or spots on bark or leaves. When your leaves look like lace, caterpillars or insects are eating them. Spots may indicate several issues ranging from fungus to bugs. Those scar-like lines on tree bark could mean your tree is infected with borers, an insect that lays eggs inside the bark and then burrows out after it hatches. Any of these issues should be researched and cared for as soon as possible, as a severe case may kill part or all of your shrub or tree.

Vertical Vegetable Gardening
For summer gardening, grow vegetables vertically to conserve space. Many vegetable plants are vines and well-suited to climb a trellis or fence, so plant them next to one and watch them climb. Support the stem itself, as well as the junctions right below where the branches grow off the stem. This is so the weight of the plant doesn't snap the stem or branches.

Fasten the plant to a tomato cage or pole with string, plant ties and wires, garden wire, or fabric strips. Be sure to attach each plant loosely. Then the branches and leaves can sway in the breeze and the stem has room to grow wider. Strawberry, watermelon, squash, cucumber, and tomato plants need support as they bear fruit. Melons and squash require hammocks made of old nylons, string, a sling, or other stretchy fabric to support the weighty produce. All of these plants take up less space on the ground this way, which allows you to have walking room in between plants or fit even more of them.

Trees as Natural Shade
Trees are the ultimate natural source of shade, and they can change the look of your yard. Whether you plant a few trees as accents, a few more to bear fruit, or a whole mini-forest, remember this is a long-term commitment. When they're healthy, trees live many decades — and some for hundreds of years. Before you shop, look into how to plant a tree, whether they're deciduous trees, evergreen saplings, or more mature trees.

Although trees framing a house may look picturesque, you should research the specifics of those trees before you plant them. Think about how far the roots extend outward, the full-grown size of the trees, and how deep the taproots go. Trees will always find the most accessible source of water, so be sure to plant them away from your water pipes to avoid roots growing into them. As majestic as trees are, it's essential to also consider how and where they'd fall if disease or a severe storm weakened them. If you've planned accordingly, found trees you love, and know the ideal places to put them, get planting. That way, you can enjoy the leaves rustling in the breeze and dappled shade sooner rather than later.

Find Your Summertime Lawn Care Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes gardening, relaxing, grilling, or starting outdoor DIY projects, we've got the supplies you need to keep your days flowing with ease. Make the most of these lengthy evenings and early mornings to enjoy all the season has to offer. Shop online at your leisure, on our Home Depot mobile app anywhere you like, or in the aisles of your W Milpitas store.