Hopefully, July will be warmer and sunnier than it has been of late and we will be able to sit in our gardens and enjoy the fantastic display of flowering plants and shrubs very soon.
The obvious downside to all the recent rain is that although we have vigorous garden growth and our gardens look lush and green, we also have amazing weeds too!
Weeding, feeding and dead-heading
Control the weeds on paths and pull out weeds in your flowerbeds. Increase the feeding of seasonal patio pots and baskets – they will benefit from a weekly feed of liquid tomato fertiliser or liquid feed.
Dead-head bedding plants, annuals and Roses as this will encourage more flowers. If you cut back delphiniums and geraniums after the first flowers they should flower a second time, so give them a feed of Blood, Fish and Bone or a slow-release fertiliser.
If we are forecast some windy days, support or tie in any vigorous climbers or tall perennials to prevent damage.
Watering
We hope July will bring some hot Summer weather, so increase the watering for the plants if they need it.
Bedding plants, leafy vegetables, seedlings and new plantings and plants in pots are most prone to drying out. If possible, water your plants early in the morning or in the evening and avoid watering during the hottest part of the day.
Protecting from disease or pests
Some diseases and pests thrive in hot summer conditions, so check susceptible plants – such as roses – for issues such as blackspot, mildew and rust. Treat and spray as required.
Water features
If you have a pond, rake out any overgrown oxygenating plants and algae, topping-up the water levels using rainwater collected in your water-butts if you can.
Mowing
If the weather is hot and dry, try not to mow too often and raise the height of cutting deck on your mower.
Brown patches on lawns in hot spells are inevitable but the lawn will recover quickly, so there’s no need to water. It’s better to use the water for your pots, baskets and flowering borders.
Painting and refreshing
Warm, dry summer weather is perfect for painting wooden sheds, fences, arches and arbours. There are lots of traditional and other vibrant colours on the market to brighten or refresh any wooden structure in your garden.
Alpington and Yelverton 