July To Do List

What should you do in the garden this July?

Deadhead annual plants and re-blooming perennials.

This helps to encourage continuous flowering. Remove spent flowers once they start to look worn. Remember, not all flowering perennials need to be deadheaded.

Be water-wise.

Being water-wise doesn’t just mean providing the water your garden needs, but using it sensibly. Water your plants in the morning if you can. This will allow the water to run down into the soil and reach the roots of the plant without too much excess water lost due to evaporation. Watering in the morning will also allow time for the leaves and soil to dry before nightfall, preventing fungal diseases.

Maintain your pond.

Pond creatures are less active in autumn, so fall is usually the best time to clean your pond, however there are a few things you can do in the summer to maintain it. Water evaporates during the summer months, so you might need to top up your pond with water, if necessary. Scoop out any floating weeds that are covering the pond. Wildlife ramps can ensure that any creatures can safely enter and exit your pond.

Give your lawn a summer feed.

Feeding early in the summer helps strengthen the lawn so it can withstand the heat and drought conditions that tend to come later in summer. Use Cedar Rim Turf Supreme (23-4-8) for best results. To keep grass from going dormant, water deeply but infrequently. We recommend one inch a week, but be sure to follow your local guidelines.

Water containers every day in hot weather.

Container plants require more care than those in gardens. Check moisture 1-2 times daily during hot weather. Water thoroughly, fill the container to the rim allowing it to drain into the soil, then fill again to be sure the soil is sufficiently moistened.

Give annuals a boost with water-soluble fertilizer.

We recommend Miracle Gro Bloom Boost (15-30-15). This will give them the energy they need to flower for the rest of the summer.

Care for your houseplants while you are on summer vacation.

If you are going away for a short period of time, give your houseplants a good watering before hand. For a longer absence, there are measures you can take to prevent the plant from struggling. We recommend the wick method which is useful for large single potted plants. Use a large container to hold water and a piece of capillary matting as a wick, insert one end of the wick into the container of water and one in the plant pot.

Sow Seeds

This is your last chance to sow some veggies for harvest this year! Beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, lettuce, kohlrabi, peas, radish & spinach can all be planted now

Check Clematis for signs of Clematis wilt.

Clematis wilt is a fungal disease that causes rapid wilting and can kill the entire plant. Leaf spots, black discolouration when stems are split open are both signs of clematis wilt. If your clematis is affected, cut all wilted stems back to healthy tissue. Be sure to destroy the affected material to prevent contamination in the soil and disinfect pruning tools.

Treat apple & pear scab.

These are fungal diseases that cause dark scabby marks on fruit and leaves of apple & pear trees. Garden hygiene and introducing natural enemies is the first step in managing this disease. Pruning out affected twigs and disposing of fallen leaves & fruit will reduce the number of spores present which start infections the next growing season.