July
Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots, and gillyflowers.
— Sara Coleridge, The Garden Year (1834)
Keep the summer garden thriving
July brings long days, warm weather and gardens at their most colourful and productive. Regular watering, feeding, harvesting and deadheading will help plants continue performing throughout the summer.
It is also a month when ponds and wildlife can benefit from a little extra attention during hot, dry periods.
Keep the flowers coming
Regularly deadhead flowering plants, removing faded blooms before they produce seed.
This keeps borders, baskets and containers looking their best and encourages many flowering plants to produce more blooms through the summer.
Keep new plants watered
Newly planted flowers, shrubs and other plants need particular attention during warm, dry weather while their root systems become established.
Water new plants regularly, preferably using collected rainwater from water butts where possible. Watering thoroughly around the roots is generally better than frequent light watering.
Check clematis for wilt
Keep an eye on clematis for signs of clematis wilt.
Affected shoots can suddenly collapse and foliage may turn dark. Check plants regularly so affected growth can be spotted and dealt with promptly.
Pick courgettes regularly
Courgettes can grow remarkably quickly during warm summer weather.
Pick them while they are still young and tender, rather than allowing them to develop into large marrows. Regular harvesting also encourages the plant to continue producing.
Enjoy the first tomatoes
July is when many gardeners can begin picking tomatoes as they ripen.
Continue removing side-shoots from cordon tomatoes and make sure plants receive regular water and feed. Consistent care will help support the developing fruit and keep plants productive.
Look after your pond
Warm summer weather can encourage algae and blanket weed and increase evaporation from ponds.
Remove algae, blanket weed and accumulated debris, and keep the pond topped up when necessary. Take care when removing vegetation, as small aquatic creatures may be hiding amongst it.
Don't worry about a brown lawn
Extended dry weather can leave lawns looking brown and tired.
Don't worry if your lawn turns brown. Established grass naturally becomes dormant during dry conditions and will usually recover quickly once cooler weather and rainfall return.
Wildlife to look out for
July is one of the busiest months for garden wildlife. Bees, butterflies and hoverflies take advantage of abundant summer flowers, so keeping flowering plants blooming provides an important source of nectar and pollen.
Look around ponds for dragonflies and damselflies, while frogs and toads may shelter amongst vegetation and in cool, damp corners.
Many young garden birds are now out of the nest and may still be following their parents for food. Swifts, swallows and house martins can also be seen hunting insects overhead.
After dark, look out for hedgehogs searching lawns and borders for food. During hot weather, providing a shallow dish of fresh water can help birds, hedgehogs and other garden visitors.
One last tip
July should also be a month for enjoying what you've grown. Harvest vegetables regularly, appreciate the flowers and take some time to watch the wildlife sharing your garden.
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