July is a vibrant month in the garden, with the sun shining bright and nature in full bloom. It's a time when both vegetable and fruit gardens thrive, lawns require special attention, trees and shrubs need careful maintenance, and the flower garden bursts into a riot of colors. In this comprehensive guide, we will take you through the essential tasks to ensure your garden remains healthy and productive during this bountiful month.
Vegetable Garden
Plant Pepper Plants into Larger Pots
As pepper plants grow, they need more space to develop their roots. Transplanting them into larger pots ensures they have enough room to flourish.
Harvest Garlic When Tops Start to Bend Over and Yellow
Garlic is ready for harvest when its leaves turn yellow and start bending over. This indicates that the bulbs have matured and are ready to be plucked.
Pick Runner Beans Regularly
Regularly picking runner beans promotes continued growth and prevents them from becoming stringy. It also makes space for developing pods and encourages more flowering.
Feed Crops with Ecoworm Soil Extract
Nourish your crops with Ecoworm Soil Extract to provide them with essential nutrients for healthy growth and a bountiful harvest.
Pinch Out Tomato Side Shoots
Regularly pinch out the side shoots of tomato plants to concentrate their energy on fruit production. Removing leaves below the lowest ripening fruit improves air circulation and reduces the risk of diseases.
Boost Your Pepper, Tomato, and Cucumber Crops
Keep your pepper, tomato, and cucumber plants thriving by feeding them with potassium-rich Ecoworm Soil Extract. Begin feeding when the first fruit appears.
Train Cucumber Stems Upwards
Utilise vertical wires to train cucumber stems upwards, maximising space and improving air circulation around the plants.
Pinch Out Growing Tips of Aubergines
Pinching out the growing tips of aubergines after they produce 5 or 6 fruits encourages more fruiting. Regular picking of young fruits stimulates continuous growth.
Encourage Branching in Squash and Courgette Plants
Nip off the growing tips of squash and courgette plants to encourage branching, leading to more fruit production.
Dry and Freeze Herbs
Preserve the abundance of herbs in July by drying and freezing them for later use.
Harvest Various Vegetables
July is a rewarding month for harvesting. Enjoy fresh peas, carrots, beetroot, potatoes, salad leaves, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Save Seeds for Future Sowing
Collect seeds from your best plants to store and use for future sowing, ensuring genetic diversity and resilience in your garden.
Water Your Fruits and Vegetables Daily
With warm weather, it's essential to water your fruits and vegetables daily to prevent drought stress and ensure healthy growth.
Keep on Top of Pests and Diseases
Regularly inspect your garden for pests and diseases. Be vigilant against common issues like mildew in hot, dry weather and red spider mite infestations. Use organic Ecoworm Potassium Soap to get rid of aphids.
Control Slugs
Combat slug infestations to protect your crops from damage.
Fruit Garden
Harvest Strawberries, Currants, Raspberries, and Gooseberries
Enjoy the sweet rewards of your fruit garden as strawberries, currants, raspberries, and gooseberries ripen and become ready for harvest.
Feed Your Fruiting Container Plants
Nourish your fruiting container plants with potassium-rich Ecoworm Soil Extract to maintain their health and productivity.
Tidy Up Beds of Main Crop Strawberries
After harvesting, tidy up beds of main crop strawberries by removing excessive runners and old foliage.
Prune Raspberries
Once raspberries have finished fruiting, cut out the old growth to ground level and begin tying in new shoots for next year's fruiting.
Layer Blackberries, Loganberries, and Blackberry Hybrids
In late July, you can propagate blackberries, loganberries, and blackberry hybrids by layering their young shoots in the soil.
Check Gooseberry Bushes for Sawfly Larvae
Inspect gooseberry bushes for sawfly larvae and remove them to protect your foliage from being stripped.
Thin Fruits on Fruit Trees
Thinning fruits on fruit trees improves the quality and size of the remaining fruit. It also helps prevent diseases like brown rot.
Protect Developing Fruits
Safeguard your developing fruits from birds and squirrels by using protective netting around your plants.
Increase Your Fig Crop
Pinch out the tips of side shoots on fig trees after they have developed five leaves to encourage a higher yield.
Prune Fruit Trees
From July to autumn, prune plum, apricot, peach, and cherry trees to reduce the risk of silver leaf disease.
Monitor Pests and Diseases
Be vigilant for pests like woolly aphids, tortrix caterpillars, red spider mites, and signs of mildew. Use Potassium Soap to protect your plants from aphids.
Check for Silver Leaf
Inspect plum, apple, and pear trees for silver leaf disease, characterised by a silvery sheen on infected leaves. Remove and burn infected branches.
Support Heavy Fruit Tree Branches
Provide support to heavy fruit tree branches to prevent them from breaking under the weight of fruit.
Continue Pollinating and Training Melons
Assist in pollinating melon flowers and train the new growth to promote healthy fruit development.
Lawn
Mow Regularly
Keep your lawn well-maintained by mowing it regularly. Adjust the mower height to prevent cutting the grass too short during dry weather.
Spike Compacted Lawns
If your lawn is compacted, aerate it by spiking to allow water to penetrate the surface.
Water New Lawns
Newly seeded or turfed lawns need adequate watering during hot weather to establish healthy growth.
Leave Grass Clippings for Mulch
During dry weather, consider leaving the grass clippings on the lawn as a shallow mulch to retain moisture and improve soil health.
Apply Ecoworm Soil Extract to Established Lawns
Feed established lawns with Ecoworm Soil Extract to keep them lush and vibrant throughout the growing season.
Trees & Shrubs
Deadhead Roses
Deadhead roses to encourage continuous flowering. Feed them with Ecoworm Soil Extract for better flower production.
Treat Roses for Blackspot and Mildew
Spray roses with Ecoworm Potassium Soap if blackspot or mildew becomes a problem.
Prune Flowering Shrubs
Prune shrubs that have finished flowering to maintain their shape and encourage new growth.
Manage Wisterias
Keep an eye on wisterias to prevent them from overtaking your garden. Cut back long, thin side growth to maintain the main stems.
Trim Hedges
Trim hedges, especially quick-growing ones like privet, to keep them in shape.
Check for Weeds and Reverted Growth
Remove weeds growing along the base of hedges and cut back any growth on variegated hedges that has reverted to the original colors.
Flower Garden
Continue Watering and Care
Monitor your plants for wilting and provide adequate water. Pay attention to hanging baskets and window boxes, watering them more frequently.
Deadhead Flowers
Remove spent flowers to promote more blooms on plants with a long display period.
Train Climbing Plants
Tie in and train new growth on climbing plants to direct their growth.
Feed Blooming Flowers
Feed blooming sweet peas, chrysanthemums, and dahlias with Ecoworm Soil Extract to support their growth.
Dig Up and Store Bulbs
Dig up and store tulips, hyacinths, and other spring flowering bulbs in a cool, airy place until planting time in the autumn.
Collect Seeds
Start collecting seeds in July if you want to dry and store your own seeds for future planting.
Pot Up Tender Cyclamen
Pot up tender cyclamen house plants that have started to send out tiny leaves after their winter display.
Plant Autumn Flowering Bulbs
Plant autumn flowering bulbs at the end of July for a late seasonal garden display.
Sow Herbaceous Plant Seeds
Sow any remaining herbaceous plant seeds, but keep in mind they are unlikely to flower until the next year.
Plan for Autumn Color
Consider planting bulbs like autumn crocus (Colchicum) to add color to your garden in the fall.
Thin Out Perennials and Seedlings
Thin out perennials and winter flowering seedlings, and continue sowing pansies for winter and spring.
Plant Out Herbaceous and Biennial Seedlings
Transplant herbaceous and biennial seedlings from their original seed rows or pots into wider nursery rows as they grow.
Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings
Propagate hydrangeas from cuttings before the end of July.
Monitor for Pests
Keep a close eye on your plants for any signs of pests, and take early measures to treat them. Use Ecoworm Potassium Soap to protect your plants from pests.
Conclusion
In conclusion, July is a busy month for gardeners, with a plethora of tasks to be done in the vegetable garden, fruit garden, lawn, trees, shrubs, and flower garden. By following these tips and guidelines, you can ensure a fruitful and vibrant garden throughout the summer season. Happy gardening!