July
In The Fruit Garden This July
Thin out the fruits on your fruit trees to produce good sized crops. This also helps to prevent brown rot.
If you have plants fruiting in containers, make sure you give them a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy and productive.
Maximise your fig crop by pinching out the tips of side shoots after they’ve developed five leaves.
Feed lemons and other citrus fruit trees throughout summer with a special citrus fertiliser.
Resist the temptation to harvest more rhubarb stems. Leave the stems in place this will allow the plant to build up reserves for next year.
Prune your stone fruit trees like plum, apricot, peach and cherry now. Pruning these species in the summer reduces the risk of silver leaf disease.
Check the leaves of gooseberry bushes for sawfly larvae, which can completely strip the foliage in a matter of days. Jet them off with water or pick them off by hand.
Prune the fruited stems of blackcurrant bushes after harvesting.
Top Tips:
Protect any developing fruits from birds and squirrels by placing mesh around your plants.
This Month's Key Tips
- Water plants if dry daily, but be water-wise.
- Deadhead bedding plants and flowering perennials.
- Clear algae, blanket weed and debris from ponds.
- Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed.
- Plant second cropping potatoes now to give you new potatoes for Christmas.
