The garden is at its most colourful with the frantic rush for growth replaced by a frenzy to produce flowers. Whilst there might not be much planting to undertake in July, the primary focus for the garden will be maintaining your plants and borders. Keep a watch out for garden pests - encourage birds and wildlife into the garden to take care of greenfly and slugs naturally.
Borders
•
Prune late spring and early summer flowering shrubs immediately after flowering to promote new growth.
•
Dead head Sweet Peas to increase the flowering season.
•
Deadhead Roses and feed regularly.
•
Spray Roses to control black spot, mildew and aphids.
•
Feed perennials and shrubs with a granular fertiliser such as chicken pellets or growmore and hoe into the soil.
•
Remove faded flowers on delphiniums and lupins. This may encourage a second flowering.
•
Trim spring flowering heathers to remove flower heads and to keep in shape.
•
Tie in and train new growth on climbing and rambling Roses.
•
Water newly planted shrubs and perennials in dry conditions.
•
Treat any serious outbreaks of pests and diseases.
•
Tie tall flowering herbaceous perennials to supports such as canes.
•
Walk around the garden regularly and pull out weeds as they appear rather than digging or hoeing which encourages the soil to dry out.
•
Put pots of plants into gaps in the borders.
Bedding plants
•
Place your orders for autumn and winter plug plants.
•
In hot weather water in the evening to reduce the amount of evaporation.
•
Snip off dead flower heads regularly to encourage lots more flowers.
Containers
•
Water containers regularly even if it has rained - at least twice a day during hot weather.
•
Feed container plants and hanging baskets with a liquid fertiliser such as Feed-all or Miracle-Gro every week.
•
Before you go on holiday move your pots to a lightly shaded spot so they don't dry out as quickly and are easier for neighbours to water. Better still put them in a strong cardboard box lined with a plastic bin bag and fill the bottom with about 2.5cm (1") of water.
Lawns
•
Continue to mow grass raising the height of cut in dry weather.
Fruit
•
Check nets on fruit cages to make sure that they have not moved or been damaged.
•
Strawberry runners can be pegged down into soil or pots to encourage rooting for producing new plants.
•
Train new growth on trained fruit trees removing side shoots.
•
Mulch Rhubarb plants and remove flower spikes.
•
Remove straw from under Strawberries that have finished fruiting.
•
Pick Raspberries regularly.
•
Summer prune fruit trees such as apple, pear, plum and cherry.
The Vegetable Garden
•
Harvest early potatoes.
•
Harvest globe artichokes.
•
Earth up main crop potatoes to give an increased yield.
•
Keep onions well watered to achieve the best size.
•
Sow salad crops directly into the ground to continue getting fresh plants.
The Greenhouse
•
Spray Peaches and Nectarines every day with tepid water.
•
Use biological control where pests are a problem.
•
Ensure that all vents are working and close them on cool evenings.
•
Remove faded flowers and dropped foliage to prevent the build up of fungal diseases.
Ponds
•
Continue to feed pond fish.
•
Remove any blanket weed by twirling it around on a stick.
•
Check filters on pumps to ensure that they are not blocked.
•
Remove any plant material that has fallen into the pond to prevent the build up of disease.
Patio
•
If you have wooden garden furniture apply an appropriate oil to prevent the wood drying out in the sun and splitting.
