My July Garden

Lisa Hunter • July 12, 2021

Timely tips

Summer can still throw out a few surprises — make sure tall plants and climbers are well supported in case of bad weather.
Water at dusk to reduce evaporation and use mulch to retain moisture around plants.
Terracotta pots are prone to evaporation so dampen the pot down to keep roots inside cool and damp.
Regularly deadhead bedding and perennial plants to encourage new blooms for as long as possible.

In the flower garden

Cut back faded perennial plants to keep borders tidy.
Cutting back growth in hanging baskets can encourage new flowers and foliage and will revive the display. Make sure you feed your baskets well after doing this.
Cut back hardy geraniums and delphiniums after the first flush of flowers to encourage new growth and further blooms.
Continue to tie in and train new growth on climbing plants.
Take cuttings from your favourite tender plants for overwintering indoors. Cuttings can also still be taken from shrubs and border perennials.
Deadhead bedding plants and perennial plants to stop them self-seeding and to encourage further flowering.
Deadhead your roses to keep them looking tidy. Leave the flowers in place if your rose produces attractive hips (seed pods).

In the vegetable garden

If you're growing aubergines, pinch out the growing tip once they have 5 or 6 fruits. Pick fruits while they are young. You can expect to start harvesting mid to late summer.
Nip off the growing tips of squash and courgette plants to encourage branching.
Pinch out tomato side shoots each week. Cut off any leaves growing below the lowest ripening fruit trusses to improve air circulation and prevent diseases.
Feed crops with a general purpose fertiliser.
Pick your courgettes while they’re young. Regular picking encourages more fruit.
Harvest beetroot, peas, carrots, chard, potatoes, salad leaves, lettuce, and tomatoes this month.
Water your fruit and vegetable crops daily in warm weather. Try to ensure that they’re consistently moist.
Clear weeds regularly, as they compete with your crops for nutrients and water.

In the fruit garden

Thin out the fruits on your fruit trees to produce good sized crops. This also helps to prevent brown rot.
Protect any developing fruits from birds and squirrels by placing mesh around your plants.
Feed lemons and other citrus fruit trees throughout summer with a special citrus fertiliser.
Peg down runners on your strawberry plants to create more plants for next year. If you don't need more plants simply remove the strawberry runners completely.

Looking after your lawn

This is your last chance to feed your lawn with a special lawn fertiliser to encourage healthy green growth.
Water your lawn during hot weather, particularly newly seeded or turfed lawns. Don’t allow new lawns to dry out.
If you’re experiencing prolonged dry weather, set your mower blades higher to reduce stress on the grass.
Warm weather encourages rapid weed growth — apply specific lawn weed killer to tackle this problem.

Other jobs about the garden

Water containers and baskets thoroughly in hot weather. Continue to feed them with a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 to 4 weeks.
Use water butts instead of tap water as often as you can when watering your plants.
Keep bird baths topped up in hot weather.
Prevent slugs attacking your young plants by using pest control. For container plants apply copper tape.