July garden advice

July garden advice and maintenance

General gardening

Give the lawn a quick acting summer feed, especially if a spring feed was not done
Give woodwork a lick of paint or preserver, while the weather is dry
Mow lawn once a week. In late summer, lawn growth slows down, so raise the cutting height slightly to allow your lawn to resist wear better
Feeding your lawn with fertilizer such as Aftercut or Evergreen, will help to keep it in good condition
For a green lawn, use a sprinkler once a week during dry weather. When watering the lawn, soak it to get the water down under the roots
Containers and hanging baskets will need regular watering – make sure the compost is thoroughly soaked
Feed container plants and hanging baskets with a liquid fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro every week
Place plants from Conservatory outside in a sunny area
Keep tubs and new plants watered regularly in the heat
To ensure continuous flowering over the summer, deadhead bedding plants and any repeat-flowering perennials
Roses should be deadheaded. Look out for black spot. Lightly prune back and apply fertilisers to encourage a second flowering
Tie in the long growths of climbing roses, honeysuckles and vines
Plant your spring crops of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower (brassicas)
Pick beans regularly and keep them well-watered
Prune apple and pear trees to allow more light to the ripening fruit and encourage new growth
Feed perennials and shrubs with a granular fertiliser such as Organic Chicken Manure Pellets or Growmore and hoe into the soil