GARDEN JOBS IN JULY

July is normally one of the hottest months of the year and dry, although this July seems to be trying to change all of that. Watering is therefore a major task for this month but don't be fooled by a shower of rain every couple of days. Many types of vegetable require deep watering so even if it has rained you may still need to water such vegetables as tomatoes, courgettes and marrows and even runner beans need water to form their pods correctly. Many European seed varieties such as our Italian and Spanish seeds can flourish with less water but why not spoil them and even more fruit from your crop.

Obviously July is not one of the hardest months of the year, you are not going to be doing any heavy digging but there should be a lot of picking. Ensure that you keep taking your courgettes or they will keep growing and you may end up with far too many at one time so pick one every day and then you will be taking them when they are at their freshest. Your French beans and runner beans should also be picked together with Tomatoes that need to be taken every day to keep the crop growing at its best.

Your vegetables to need to be looked after to ensure they will grow and produce at their best so regular weeding are essential. Also climbing beans should be cut once they reach the top of their supports. This will encourage them to thicken and produce more pods.
When the leaves of your garlic, onions and shallots turn brown they should be lifted from the soil and allowed to dry. The sun is obviously best for this but if the weather is wet then a well ventilated room, garage or shed will do. If putting them in your house to dry then be prepared for a fantastic onion smell every time you open the door!
Courgettes and pumpkins also need to be looked after and you should not be frightened to be hard with them. When the stems have a number of flowers and start to get more than 2' long then cut them after a flower head. This will improve the crop you get.

- You can start pegging out the runners of selected early strawberry plants now, limited to just a few per plant. When they have their own roots well anchored to the soil, you can detach them from the parent plant. If a strawberry plant is over 3 years old, many like to get rid of them now and concentrate on the younger plants!

- When early plants have finished such as potatoes, early peas and broad beans, clear them away to make room for catch crops such as lettuce, carrots etc.

- Use a hoe to keep the plot free of weeds and fertilise onions.

- Continue to thin small seedlings such as beetroot and carrots.

Spray tomato plants overhead to encourage the flowers to set.

Mound up Brussels sprouts around stems.

GARDEN MAINTENANCE IN JULY

CUT YOUR GRASS
Cutting grass is important but be careful not to cut it too short. In our opinion cutting the grass to less than 1.5" (40mm) can encourage the growth of weeds and moss in the lawn, especially in areas where grass coverage is not particularly good such as under trees, hedges or on areas of heavy use. In dry weather just trim the grass to keep it looking nice and don't feed it. It is very important NOT to feed lawns during dry spells, it can cause more harm than good.

WATERING VEGETABLES
In periods of dry weather it is very important not to waste water not just because we all should be doing our part to save water but it can become expensive if you have to use tap water.
Obviously you try to collect as much rain water as possible but if it is dry for more than a couple of weeks this will run short so it is very important to conserve as much water as possible so only water the plants that need it. Such vegetables as tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers need watering on a daily basis but try to direct the water to the plant roots not waste it by spraying the leaves. This not just wastes water but can cause damage to the leaf and in some cases, such as with cucumbers, damage to the plant itself. As a 'sprinkle' of water is really a waste of time it is far better to give the roots a good soaking but do it less often, maybe every other day, in really dry weather.
Something to remember when planting is to use manure, organic compost or even newspaper as a base for these plants. If this is put in the ground before the seedlings then this helps to both feed the plants and hold water which will really help in the dry months.

VEGETABLE GARDEN SOWING IN JULY

July is not just a time for harvesting but also sowing. Crops can be sown now to harvest at the end of summer right through winter, but planning is all important so here is some information to add to your gardening calendar.

CARROTS especially fast growing varieties can be planted now and will be ready in early autumn.
SPRING CABBAGE very important that these are large enough to survive the first frosts so now is a great time to start sowing. Remember to sow lines a week or so apart to ensure you don't get your whole crop at once!
SALAD these can be sown now and will keep you in fresh produce right up until late autumn.
TURNIPS should be sown now.
HERBS many of these can be sown all year round as they are very good for growing in your kitchen and some of them, such as Basil, also look very good. If you want to plant outside then, again many can be planted in sheltered areas all year but obviously not during very harsh winters.

- Plant out late cabbages without delay. This is also the latest time for Autumn broccoli and cauliflower. - Use cabbage collars to protect brassicas from the cabbage root fly. Also watch out for the cabbage white butterfly, squash the eggs and apply our caterpillar killing nematodes to kill the caterpillars before they devour your crop!

- Continue to plant out lettuces and spinach. These plants are great for successional sowing to give you a continuous crop. Continue to sow herbs. (Dry extra herbs for keeping).

- Sow Swiss chard. Whilst not very common in the UK, it is a gtreat crop that supplies leaves over a prolonged period.