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.
Protect any developing fruits from birds and squirrels by placing mesh around your plants.
If you have plants fruiting in containers, make sure you give them a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy and productive.
Treat apple scab with a fungicide.
Feed lemons and other citrus fruit trees throughout summer with a special citrus fertiliser.
Peg down runners on your strawberry plants to create more plants for next year. If you don’t need more plants simply remove the strawberry runners completely.
Maximis your fig crop by pinching out the tips of side shoots after they’ve developed five leaves.
Prune the fruited stems of blackcurrant bushers after harvesting.
Raspberries are shallow rooted so they’ll appreciate being watered generously in hot, dry weather.
Top Tip:
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.
This Month's Key Tips
- Water plants if dry daily, but be water-wise
- Deadhead bedding plants and flowering perennials
- Clear algea, blanket weed and debris from ponds
- Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed
- Plant seond cropping potatoes now to give you new potatoes for Christmas
