Skip to content
Seasonal jobs for the month: July
1. To prevent potato and tomato blight on outdoor crops, and to control powdery mildew on ornamentals, spray with a fungicide.
2. During drought set the mower to give a higher cut and avoid the use of high-nitrogen fertilisers.
3. Ensure any trees or shrubs planted in the last year or two do not dry out. Planting in a slight hollow helps ensure that water is directed to their rootballs.
4. Cut back hardy geraniums to ground level after their first flush of flowers to encourage new foliage – and more flowers later in the year.
5. Regularly harvest courgettes and beans every few days to keep plants producing fruit.
6. Thin apples, pears and plums after the natural ‘June drop’ if they’re carrying a lot of fruit.

Kitchen garden

  • Remove excess side shoots and leaves shading the fruit on grape vines
  • Prune out fruited canes of summer raspberries and cut back side shoots of gooseberries and red and white currants.
  • Tip prune figs to encourage bushy growth
  • Net ripening fruit against birds
  • Sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel and autumn and winter salads and make the last sowings of French and runner beans.
  • To avoid risk of blossom end rot on tomatoes keep plants evenly watered

Glasshouse & Indoors

  • Introduce predators and parasites immediately if glasshouse whitefly, red spider mite, mealy bug and scale insects are found.
  • Place conservatory plants outside now it is warm.
  • Water houseplants freely and feed fortnightly.
  • Ventilate and shade conservatories and greenhouses to prevent overheating

Lawns and meadows

  • Prune deciduous magnolias if required
  • Start pruning excess summer growth on wisteria
  • Take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs.

Ponds and water features

  • Top up wildlife ponds in dry weather in accordance with any hosepipe bans operating.
  • Run pumps on sultry nights to maintain oxygen levels for fish.

Ornamental garden

  • Regularly liquid feed containerised plants.
  • Keep cutting sweetpeas, water and mulch to prolong flowering
  • Dead-head roses, bedding plants and repeat flowering perennials.

Pest, disease and disorder watch

  • Bright orange spots on the upper surface of pear leaves indicates pear rust.
  • Sudden collapse of apparently healthy clematis stems indicates clematis wilt.
  • Dry weather will encourage powdery mildew on clematis, rose, laurel and honeysuckle.
  • Brown patches on conifers may indicate cypress aphid.
  • Dry conditions favour ants. Where possible keep containers and other areas well watered.
  • Pick off the larvae of scarlet lily beetle and asparagus beetle.
  • On Fuchsia and Dahlia small holes in new foliage indicates capsid bug damage.
  • Damage to foliage of Viburnum tinus and V. opulus is likely to be caused by viburnum beetle
Back to top