Jobs to do in the garden in July

Jobs to do in the garden in July

Take steps to protect plants in the heat of summer – and reap the rewards for the rest of the year – by following our tips on jobs you should do in the garden in July.

1. Cut Delphiniums down to 10-15cm after they have flowered and keep them moist. They should produce another flush of flowers in the autumn.
2. Remove the spent flowers from annuals to encourage the production of new flowers.
3. The first flush of roses will be over in July, so ensure you cut off spent heads, reducing by approximately a third. However, don’t cut back roses that are being grown for autumn rose hips.
4. Spray rose sawfly, if necessary, as they eat the foliage, leaving a fine skeleton of the veins. Lightly cover both sides of the leaves to help combat mildew.
5. Keep on top of fast-growing soft weeds, such as thistles, as they harbour aphids etc.
6. Continue to tie Dahlias to their stakes, and spray aphids and other insects as necessary.
7. If caring for large chrysanthemums, remove the side shoots from all flowering shoots other than the limited number of blooms (often five) you wish to retain.
8. Feed the shrubs that were cut back in the spring with a high sulphate of potash feed to encourage the production of flower buds for next year.
9. Prune shrubs growing on walls and pergolas to remove some of the top growth and further stimulate growth from the base of the plant.
10. When conditions are very dry, give recently planted trees and shrubs a thorough soaking – a far better method than ‘little and often’. Also, spray overhead in the evening in very dry conditions.
11. Give newly purchased container-grown plants a really good soak in a bucket before planting.
12. Evergreen hedges can be clipped this month, as well as some deciduous ones, but ensure there are no nesting birds in the hedge. Cut laurel and Eleagnus hedges with secateurs to prevent cut leaves. In hot weather, spray newly planted conifer hedges with water overhead as well as ensuring the root zone remains moist.
13. July is a good month to take cuttings of heathers. Choose young, strong, half-ripe, non-flowering shoots, and treat the bottom 5cm with rooting hormone, and insert around the edge of a 9cm pot. Keep in a closed, shaded area, ensuring that water does not drip on to the cuttings from the underside of the glass. Don’t allow them to dry out.
14. Remove dying water lily leaves from ponds as they appear.

Want more guidance on what jobs you should carry out for a garden in July? Here are some more examples of recommendations from our expert team  Jobs to do in the garden this May

Posted 5th Jul 4:31pm