July Gardening Tips from Jo

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Giving a little TLC to your July garden reaps rewards

As we move into high summer, gardening expert Jo has some suggestions on how to keep your garden looking at its best and how to enjoy your grow your own crops.

We’re all looking forward to getting outdoors more in July, albeit with plenty of time in the shade, lots of suncream – and a good gardening hat!

July is the month when the Spring is truly left behind. Pastel tones are replaced by vibrant colours and summer bedding is doing its thing! Maintenance is key to make sure your plants stay looking good for as long as possible.

Be water aware

Something we all need to think about is the lack of rain…

Some people use grey water on their gardens, and this is certainly something to consider for the longer term. You’ll need to think about the products (such as shampoos) you use, and you might want to look into filtering the water before using. Grey water is fine for lawns, short term use for borders, but it’s best not to use it on edible crops.

Hanging baskets and containers are the most susceptible to drying out, so make sure these are the first to be watered. On hot days do this first thing in the morning and then in the cooler evening.

If you haven’t applied mulch to your borders, this is worth doing to help keep moisture in.

And don’t forget to top up the bird bath. Watching blackbirds take a bath can be very entertaining. Please also leave some saucers of water at ground level for the hedgehogs.

Summer flowers

Hopefully the flowers you have planted are doing well, especially sunflowers!

Remember to prop up tall perennials using stakes or hazel sticks, to protect from winds or just to stop them toppling with the sheer weight of the blooms.

When flowers have faded, such as delphiniums, foxgloves and hardy geraniums, cut these back. Lupins will sometimes come back for another showing if you cut them right back.

At the risk of sounding monotonous – keep deadheading! By stopping plants producing seed they will continue to flower for longer. Think of it as a mindfulness activity, getting outside, achieving something and helping your garden to give a better show over the summer.

If you’re growing dahlias, remove flower buds underneath the main flower bud as it will strengthen the plant and the flowers you leave will be even larger.

While many of us like to enjoy flowers in situ, if you have bountiful blooms, you can also decorate your home with cut flowers. Or why not give a pretty bouquet to a friend or neighbour?

Summer veg

July is the final month for picking rhubarb as the crown will need to rest for the winter. So enjoy a nice rhubarb fool while you can!

Tomatoes (technically a fruit of course) need ongoing attention to ensure a good crop. Pinch out any side shoots and snip the main growing tip when you see around five trusses of fruit. You should have started feeding regularly when the first fruit started setting, so continue with this and don’t let the compost dry out.

Some vegetables including beetroot and carrots taste especially delicious when they are quite young. They are still tender, and perfect for summer salads. And who hasn’t seen a courgette become a marrow? They also taste much better when they are younger. If you find you have a glut of courgettes then this is another potential gift for a neighbour!

Second early potatoes can be dug up now but check first that they have grown to a reasonable size before you dig up the lot. Carefully lift a couple of potatoes to ensure they are big enough. If you think they are too small, be patient, wait for a few weeks and repeat the same process.

You should make sure your veg crops are watered regularly so they don’t die. This includes potatoes, as well as onions and shallots.

Growing and sowing

Weeds – are growing! While some of your plants won’t like the dry conditions, most weeds don’t seem to care. So keep tackling them as they appear and make sure they don’t take over.

You can keep sowing lettuce seeds right through the summer and into early autumn. If you have space, you can also sow carrot and spinach seeds.

Thinking of future crops, cabbage seeds, broad bean and dwarf French beans can be sown for the next few weeks.

You can start planting autumn-flowering bulbs towards the end of the month, such as autumn crocus, Colchicum, Amaryllis and Nerine.

July is a colourful month in the garden so make sure you take time to enjoy all those gorgeous bright flowers and green leaves, plus the bees and butterflies visiting your patch.

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