Gardening Jobs for July

Hello July

With beds, borders and pots full of colour and flourishing, here are our 'Simon Says' Gardening Jobs for July. 

• Make sure Water Butts are in position, ready to collect as much water as possible. 

• Remove pods from sweet peas, as soon as the flowers have faded to encourage more flowers. 

• Feed and dead-head roses and bedding plants to encourage more flowering.

• Cut back delphiniums and lupins after the first flush of flowers to promote a second flush.

• Keep feeding planted tubs and baskets to help keep energy levels up to produce flowers and new growth. 

• Make sure celery, marrows, peas and beans are well watered. 

• Make this your last cut of rhubarb for the year. Remove any flowers that show themselves to allow the last flush of leaves to push energy back into the plant for a good crop next year. 

• June drop is nature's way of getting rid of apples that the tree wouldn't cope with, but we need to do our own version in July. Pick off any misshapen, diseased, or crowded fruit to allow the best ones to flourish. 

• Cover brassica crops with netting to prevent cabbage white butterflies from laying their eggs on the lush leaves. 

• Encourage strawberry runner on 3+ year old plants to root and form new, strong plants that will replace the old. 

• Keep sowing salad leaf crops weekly and use as soon as they're big enough. 

• Cut back lavender plants that have finished flowering to approximately 15cm. 

• Raise the mower blades slightly to help keep the grass a bit greener throughout the summer. 

• Make sure trees and shrubs planted this year are kept well-watered. 

• Don't forget the birds! Keep bird baths topped up and feeders too.