GARDENING JOBS
F OR JULY
JOBS IN THE GARDEN
July is a very productive month in the garden. All the hard work put in during the spring now starts to pay off, with so much fruit and vegetables ready for harvest. By the end of July we can be swamped with delicious veg such as cucumbers, courgette, Swiss chard, lettuce, beetroot and French beans. Whilst it’s a great month for relaxing a little and enjoying your garden, it’s also important to keep on top of weeding, watering, deadheading and pests.
Keep your pond in top condition Ponds and other water features really need some extra care in July and August to keep them healthy and looking good. Look out for any yellowing leaves If they are left on water High summer ponds need lilies and other constant attention water plants, remove them promptly. Allowing them to fall off and rot in the water will decrease water quality. Remove blanket weed. This will let oxygen into your pond. Use a net or rake and remember to give aquatic life a chance to get back to the water by piling the weed next to the pond for a day. Top up water levels. Water can evaporate rapidly from water features and ponds in the height of summer, so top them up if the water level drops significantly. Rainwater from a water butt is best – chemicals in tap water can affect the nutrient balance in the pond.
Borders will be brighter and longer living with regular feeds
IT’S TIME TO FEED AND WEED Flowerbeds and borders will be blooming by now, but don’t leave plants struggling to find nutrients in depleted soil. Apply a good quality liquid feed to plant roots once a week to keep growth healthy, increase flower production and longevity and ensure a good yield in the case of food crops. This is especially important for containerised plants that rely entirely on the compost in their pots to meet their nutritional needs. Always ensure plants are hydrated before you feed them, otherwise fertiliser can burn roots and inhibit nutrient uptake.
Deadheading one of high summer’s most important tasks
Deadheading can be one of the more tedious summer jobs but is very essential. It also keeps containers and hanging baskets looking immaculate throughout the summer. Plants that respond well to deadheading include pansies Deadheading - an important summer task and violas, geraniums, roses, lupins, delphiniums and phlox. Note that some plants, such as fuschias, lobelia and salvias, don’t need deadheading, as they do not set much seed. Also avoid deadheading plants that have ornamental seeds or berries, such as Love-in-a-mist and alliums Most flowering plants will produce more flowers with regular deadheading. Removing fading flowers stops them from going to seed, preventing the plant from thinking it has achieved its reproductive goal and directing its energies into producing seeds rather than further flowers. 10
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