Garden Tips - July

Flowers

Divide and replant bearded Irises now if the clumps have become overgrown.  Only replant the youngest pieces and reduce the leaves by about half their length to lessen transpiration while they are re-establishing themselves.  Be sure to water well until establishment has taken place.  

Dead-head Roses as the shoots finish flowering to enable new growth to appear for a later crop of flowers.  I have always found however that the best results are obtained if the shoot is pruned to just above a leaf about a third to a half below the old flower head.

Now is an ideal time to propagate Clematis by taking internodal cuttings.  Cut the stem of a piece of current season’s growth discarding the top most part of the shoot where it is still too soft.  Make cuttings by cutting halfway between the leaves (internode).  Rooting powder is beneficial and insert several cuttings around the edge of a small pot containing multi-purpose compost.  Water in and cover with a clear polythene bag.  Fold the excess polythene under the pot to make a partial seal and leave in the shade until rooting takes place.

Continue to sow winter bedding plants such as Brompton Stocks and Sweet William for next year’s display.  

Continue to feed plants growing in containers with a balanced liquid feed such as Maxicrop or Miracle grow.

Plants such as Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, Cannas and herbaceous plants should also be fed but use a powder or granular fertilizer such at Vitaz Q4 or Growmore for this purpose.

Vegetables   

Sow Spring Cabbage now for use next Spring, also Chard and perennial Spinach.  Water developing crops such as Courgettes well to keep them growing and the production of a larger crop.

Fruit   

Now that the “June Drop” is finished, any Apple fruits which remain in clusters can be thinned to give bigger and better quality fruit.  The trees should also be given an extra supply of water at this time to help swell the fruits. If you have suffered with Bitter Pit on your apples in the past, a spray with Calcium Nitrate now can prevent this happening.  The tree should be sprayed by wetting the leaves and fruit in late evening when weather conditions allow.

General   

Compost heaps should ideally be turned from time to time to introduce more Oxygen to help in the decomposition.  Add extra water if the heap is dry and add a nitrogen fertilizer such as Sulphate of Ammonia to quicken the rotting process.

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