Gardening Tips for July

Wildlife

• Top up bird baths and drinkers regularly.
• It is vital to clean bird feeders and drinkers regularly in warmer conditions.

Trees, Shrubs and Flowers

• Water containers and hanging baskets daily – twice daily during very hot weather (avoiding the hottest times of day). If it is difficult to keep on top of watering containers consider installing an automatic watering system, they are ideal for keeping on top of watering or when you are away on holiday.
• Rose food applied to the base of roses and other flowering shrubs will prolong flowering and encourage more blooms.
• Look out for and treat blackspot on roses. In dry weather mildew can also be prevalent on roses and clematis.
• Keep dead-heading flowers to encourage new blooms i.e. roses, sweet peas and bedding plants.
• Pick sweet peas daily to encourage blooms.
• Cut back perennials that have flowered already to encourage new buds.
• Feed actively growing plants regularly using a high potash food such as tomato food for fruiting and flowering plants.
• Plant Autumn flowering bulbs like crocus.
• Check clematis for signs of wilt.
• Cut back plants in baskets and give them a good feed to encourage new growth.
• Support tall perennials such as Delphiniums and Lupins if you have not already done so.
• Some late flowering perennials may benefit from a quick acting feed before they flower.
• Check for any greenfly attacks on all plants but especially bedding and basket plants.
• Prune shrubs that flowered in June such as Wegilia or Philadelphus.
• Tie in climbers and ramblers as they go.
• Prune Wisteria by removing the side shoots to approximately 20cm to the base.

Lawn

• You can apply a quick acting summer feed if you did not feed your lawn in the Spring.
• Keep mowing regularly but not during drought.
• In hot weather mow with the blades set high to avoid putting lawns under further stress.
• Don’t worry about dry patches, they will recover with autumn rain.
• New areas of lawn will require regular watering.
• Spot treat weeds or dig them out.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Harvest courgettes, runner beans, beetroot, peas potatoes, salas and tomatoes this month.
• Cut off old foliage when strawberries have finished fruiting.
• Feed actively growing plants regularly using a high potash food such as tomato food for fruiting and flowering plants.
• Pick beans regularly to keep fresh crops coming.
• Keep sowing lettuce, radish, and rocket to ensure successional cropping.
• Plant seed potatoes now for new potatoes this autumn and if you want new potatoes at Christmas they will need at least 100 days from planting until you harvest them.
• Boost your tomato crop by feeding them once a week with a tomato fertiliser. Pinch out any side shoots weekly.
• Mulch around potatoes.
• Raspberries benefit from extra water during hot weather.
• Peg down or remove strawberry runners.
• Prune blackcurrant bushes after harvesting.

General Maintenance and Structures

• Sit back in your favourite seat and enjoy the summer.
• Keep your greenhouse cool with green house shading fabric or paint.
• Damp down greenhouse floors in the mornings to discourage red spider mite.
• Water in the evening to minimise water loss from evaporation.
• Keep slugs at bay as they will be active through the night especially if you have watered in the evening.
• Deal with perennial weeds while in active growth by digging them out or applying a weedkiller.
• Clean filters in ponds and pumps.
• Mulch borders to help keep them moist.