Gardening Month by Month – July

• Though we are enjoying the fruits of our labour in July, it is also the time to think ahead to the autumn and winter. You can begin planting Autumn-flowering bulbs like nerine, crocuses, colchicum (naked ladies), and sternbergia. These will provide colour and interest to your garden later in the year.
• In July, many hardy annuals can also be ‘sown’ outdoors like Nigella (Love in a Mist) in rows around 12in – (30 cm) apart. Another popular choice is Calendula (Calendula officinalis) or Pot Marigolds as they are often called, which is a great ‘companion plant‘ for the garden, as they attract bees and other pollinating insects as well as beneficial insects which will help to reduce pests such as aphids.
• In July you can still plant biennials like foxgloves, (Digitalis) honesty, forget-me-nots, (Myosotis sylvatica) and wallflowers (Erysimum) now to enjoy blooms next year.
• Continue to regularly hoe and hand-weed the borders to prevent weeds from maturing and producing seeds.
• Try trimming back plants in your ‘hanging baskets’ and then fertilising them. This can stimulate new growth and rejuvenate tired, lacklustre displays, giving a second flush.
• Generally, consistently feed, water, and deadhead summer bedding plants in pots, borders, and hanging baskets.
• Don’t forget your Roses! Fertilise and deadhead your roses regularly to ensure they continue to bloom vigorously.
• Continue to monitor for pests like lily beetles, snails, and aphids. Also, vine weevils, which can be a problem this time of the year, ensure you remove them promptly to prevent significant damage.
• The unexpected wilting of seemingly healthy clematis, particularly large-flowered varieties, may suggest clematis wilt. Remove the wilted stems, as new shoots could emerge from the base.
• Continue to mow lawns lightly but often to create ‘short’ clippings, these clippings should be left on the grass during hot weather to serve as a moisture-retaining mulch.
• Continue to make compost or start a compost bin. Aim to keep a balance between ‘green’ and ‘brown’ materials in your compost pile. During the summer months, the compost often contains a surplus of green ingredients, which are typically soft, rich in nitrogen, and may not always be green in colour which can lead to a lack of structure and reduced ‘airflow’ in the pile. Therefore, it’s essential to incorporate an equal amount of brown materials such as twigs, cardboard, and wood ash.
• Remember that plants in containers rely on you for their water, as they receive little benefit from rain. In sunny weather, make sure to give them a thorough soak at least once a day.
• Hard and softwood cuttings can be taken and grown in the greenhouse, with fuchsias and pelargoniums being excellent candidates for propagation.

• Begin harvesting tomatoes as they ripen, and continue to remove any side shoots while ensuring the plants receive adequate feeding and watering.
• Many vegetables can be sown now to fill gaps left by cleared earlier crops, providing fresh produce throughout the autumn and winter. Ensure you complete the ‘sowing’ of any beetroot and savoy cabbage during the first week of July. To ensure a good harvest later in the year.
• July is the final month to sow carrots for an autumn harvest. Sow them directly and thinly into shallow drills of well-prepared soil or in pots filled with soil-based compost. To help prevent carrot fly, it’s best to avoid thinning the seedlings.
• Want winter radishes? Sow now in July. Radishes are quick to mature, easy to cultivate, and nearly pest-free, adding a peppery flavour to salads. Additionally, they can be grown as companion plants alongside other crops.
• Blackberries, early plums, gooseberries, raspberries, and blueberries should all be ripe for picking now. Harvest these fruits as soon as they are ready to prevent pests from exploiting them. Regular harvesting should also encourage the production of more flowers and fruits.
• This month, trained fruit trees should be pruned to remove unwanted shoots. This will allow good air circulation to reduce the risk of disease.
• Those of you who have ‘Corden’ fruit trees can start the Summer pruning of your Corden apples and pears to preserve their shape by shortening the side shoots that grow from the ‘cordon’ framework to five (5) leaves from their base.
• July is also an ideal time for pruning cherry, apricot, peach, and plum trees when the risk of ‘silver leaf disease’ is lower.
• Try ‘netting’ fruit trees that are at risk from birds and squirrels. For larger trees, like cherries, where it’s impractical to net the entire tree, you may consider protecting a few branches or a section while allowing birds to access the rest.
• Propagate additional strawberry plants for next year by ‘pegging down’ runners into the ground or pots of compost to encourage rooting. Additionally, if you or your friends and neighbours don’t need more plants, it’s best to remove the runners entirely.
• Cut back the growing tips of courgette and squash plants to promote branching.

In Addition:

• Top up ponds and water features as needed. Using a ‘spray attachment’ on the hose will aerate the water, benefiting your fish.
• Help the garden wildlife. Fully developed larvae of damselflies and dragonflies will emerge from the water by ‘climbing’ up plant stems, where they shed their skins to transform into flying adults. If your pond lacks suitable plants, consider adding upright marginals like water iris.
• Watch for any yellowing leaves on water lilies and other aquatic plants. If you find them, remove them promptly, as allowing them to fall and rot in the water can decrease your water quality.
• Did you know? If your area is under a hosepipe ban, then you are exempt from the restriction if you have a fish pond. You can still use it to top up and maintain your pond provided it contains fish.
• Remember to remove blanket weed to allow oxygen to enter your pond. Use a net or rake, and be sure to pile the weed next to the pond for a day or two to give aquatic life a chance to return to the water.
• July is a time for friends and family to enjoy your outdoor space. Cover fish ponds with nets in gardens where young children play. This not only enhances safety but also helps prevent leaves and other debris from falling into the pond.
• With warmer temperatures and extended sunlight exposure, conditions for algae growth are ideal. Ensure that your UV bulb is functioning by checking it through your filter’s viewing window, preferably at night, when you should see a faint blue glow. If you can see the blue glow, it’s working well. If not, you may need to replace the bulb, which should be done after six months of continuous use anyway.
• Fish chasing each other is a clear sign of ‘spawning’ during this time of year. However, monitor them closely, as they may be less aware of predators and females can be driven into the shallows. This behaviour can lead to fish getting stranded or even pushed onto cover nets, and females may become exhausted from days of relentless chasing.
• Female fish can also become ‘egg bound’ so in a bare pond it’s a good idea to add some spawning brushes so that they can release their eggs annually as they would in the wild. The female’s skin can become thin and liable to damage from being ‘scraped’ on the pond walls. This ‘damage’ can open up the chances of secondary fungal infection for the fish.

• July is also the perfect time to give your wooden garden shed a facelift by applying a new coat of paint or preservative. Fences and garden furniture also regularly need new coats of paint or preservative.
• Prevent tall perennials from falling over in the wind by staking them. Try inserting a cane at the back, tie string to it, then loop it around the outer stems of the plant before returning to the cane and tying it off.
• Tidy up all fallen leaves, dead flowers, and scattered compost to prevent potential pest and disease problems.