July 6, 2018 by Cherry Lane
Whether you are jetting off to somewhere hot and sunny or simply having a staycation, the garden has a lot to offer this month, and with the rising heat levels needs you to keep an eye on moisture levels. Whilst early perennials such as Peonies may be over, there are lots of mid and late summer flowering types getting ready to explode into colour. Soft fruit is plentiful and should be harvested regularly, and in the veg patch, the variety of produce ready to harvest keeps increasing.
Install FLOPRO automatic irrigation. Ensure your lawn, greenhouse, containers, beds and borders are kept watered throughout the growing season, by installing a FLOPRO digital water timer and a selection of sprinklers, soaker hoses and plug-n-go drippers, allowing you to relax and enjoy your holiday in the knowledge that your garden will be watered regularly at intervals set by you.
Maintain hanging baskets and containers. Keep all containers watered regularly and as often as necessary. Remove finished flowers, making sure you take the seed-producing part and not just the faded petals. Water with a liquid tomato feed once a week to give plants a boost and keep them flowering until the frosts.
Harvest potatoes. Keep harvesting first-early potatoes. The second-earlies should be ready by the middle of the month. Potatoes grown in bags can be turned out and sorted through, whilst those grown in open ground should be lifted carefully with a garden fork.
Dead head roses. Continue to remove faded blooms on roses. Continue spraying every two weeks with Roseclear Ultra to keep aphids, blackspot and mildew away.
Protect Brassicas. Cabbages, cauliflowers, brussels sprout plants and other leafy brassicas will need covering with crop protection mesh held well above the plants (canes topped with empty bottles work well here) to stop caterpillars ravaging the leaves.
Plant summer flowering perennials for colour and pollinators. There are a wealth of beautiful herbaceous perennials that will keep your garden colourful well into Autumn. Asters, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Crocosmia, Achillea and so many more will both brighten up your garden and act as an essential source of pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators, as well as butterflies. Putting perennials in at this time of year is a great way of livening up dull borders and keep the theatre going in your garden. Just be sure to keep them well watered through summer.
