July 4, 2017 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.
Put in an automatic irrigation system. Hozelock home irrigation systems make watering the garden and patio pots effortless. Once you put them together, all you have to do is to turn on the tap and turn it off again after the required amount of time. Saves lots of time for you to get on with other tasks, and it’s easy for non-gardening neighbours and family members to operate when you’re away. Control units are also available to fully automate this task.
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 to keep aphids, blackspot and mildew away.
Protect Brassicas. Cabbages, cauliflowers, brussels sprout plants and other leafy brassicas will need covering with either fleece or enviromesh 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.
