July Gardening Calender

Winter is the best time for altering the size of beds and borders and rethinking planting schemes. You can study the proportions and work out what will work best with the “bones” of your garden: the trees, hedges and hard structures like walls and paths.

NB do not dig or even walk on very wet soil as this will damage its structure.

WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY

This is a great time to take photos of your garden. Because of the low winter sun you can take pictures at any time of the day (unlike in summer). The shadows are fabulous and frosty mornings add an entirely new dimension to your garden. Colour photographs of subjects without colour are very effective. These photographs can also help you with the design of your space and show you how things could be re-arranged, cut back or are in need of a focal point.

ORNAMENTAL GARDEN

Pruning
• Prune hydrangeas and fuchsias.
• Prune roses later in the month. Spray with Champion Copper and Conqueror Oil two weeks before pruning and then again immediately after.
• July is the best month to prune conifer hedges. A regular light pruning is preferable to a heavy occasional cut. Never cut back beyond the foliage line or permanent damage will occur.
• Resist the urge to cut back untidy salvias until the new growth starts nearer to spring.
• Wisteria. To maintain form and enhance flowering wisterias must be rigorously spur-pruned in two stages: in summer, about 2 months after flowering, and again in winter while the plants are dormant. Cut back the laterals and side-shoots pruned in summer to 2-3 buds from their base; these will bear the coming seasons flowers.
• Do not prune spring-flowering plants as you will remove the flowers before they have a chance to open.

Cleaning Up
• Use Lime Sulphur as a general clean-up spray on deciduous trees.
• Spraying Conqueror Oil directly on the trunks and branches will remove scale, mites and bug eggs that may be hiding in the bark.
• Fungal leaf spots can completely spoil the look of flax foliage. Remove the worst affected leaves and spray the plants with Yates Fungus Fighter. This systemic fungicide gets right into the plant to help control existing disease as well as protecting undamaged leaves.

Growth, cuttings and sowing seed
• Use liquid fertiliser to boost growth of young seedlings.
• Sow delphinium seeds in Black Magic Seed Raising Mix to be ready in spring for planting out. Cover the seeds well, as they need to be in the dark to germinate
• Take root cuttings from perennial plants such as anchusa, dicentra, eryngium. nepeta, and Oriental poppies. Dig plants from the ground and sever the roots with a knife. Cut the roots into 10-15cm lengths, toss them into a plastic bag with a fungicide (Flowers of Sulphur) and then plant into seed trays filled with a mix of three parts sand to one part potting mix. Make sure the trays are sterilised (Jeyes Fluid).

Mulching and frost
• Hold the mulch. In summer we always recommend that organic mulch be laid on thick to conserve soil moisture, but in winter the opposite is true. Too much mulch can cause your plants to rot, especially if it's piled up around the trunks of young trees or shrubs. Pea straw isn't a problem because it's hay-like and well aerated but grass clippings, bark and even too much compost can smother the life out of wet soil in winter.
• Watch for the threat of frost and cover your tender plants. Frost damage can be minimised by spraying with Vaporguard which protection may last up to 3 months. Water frostbitten plants early in the morning before the sun burns them.

KITCHEN GARDEN

Vegetables

• Autumn green crops can also be dug in. Add Sulphate of Ammonia and lime to aid their breakdown.
• Sprout potatoes in flat trays in a light, sunny position where the temperature is fairly steady at about 5-10?C. This will take between 3-6 weeks. Plant out in frost-free areas when the sprouts are 1-2cm long leaving two or three and removing the weakest ones.
• Continue spraying cabbage, cauliflower and broad beans with Bravo of Champion Copper to combat fungus diseases.

Fruit
• All pip fruit, including crab apples, should be pruned before the end of the month.
• Do not prune prunus until late August to prevent silverleaf.
• Prune kiwifruit vines before the sap begins to rise. Vines pruned too late will continue to bleed for some time.
• Prune grapes. Cut out wood that has borne fruit and replace with young, new season’s canes, selecting the strongest and removing those that are thin and weak.

General
• Clean the inside of your green house with a dilute solution of Jeyes Fluid using a long handled brush. Move the plants outside for an hour or two to avoid contact with plants.
• Plant strawberries.
• Cultivate empty spaces by turning the soil and leaving rough clods exposed to the frosts. Weathering will help improve soil structure.
• Apply compost that can be dug in later.

LAWNS

• Mowers will perform better and last longer if they are serviced regularly. July is a good time to get this done in plenty of time for the first cut of the new growing season. This involves changing the oil and sharpening the blades.
• Spike lawns to improve drainage and the growth of grass roots. (We have a aerator available for hire - $5.00)

Read more about ROSES - planting and care - click here >>

Read more about how to rid your garden of pests and diseases here >>