This is our July guide, that suggests which gardening tasks, you should consider doing in the month of July. In the UK, July is considered to be a holiday month, and right bang in the middle of summer.
The average temperature across the UK is around 21 degrees Celsius, and around 12 degrees Celsius at nighttime. Now you can of course get higher temperatures than that, and in the South of England those can easily push into the higher 20s and even reach 30 degrees.
Believe it or not, the entire UK averages 10 days of rain, which can total around 63 millimetres (2.5 inches).
So in reality, although a warm month, we still get enough rain to ensure there is continual growth. In July you will notice lawns and hedges growing quicker than in the first 6 months. The weather does however allow most gardeners to get out and really enjoy their gardens.
There are still quite a few tasks to do in July, but it is a pleasant month to be working in the garden.
What Gardening Tasks Should You Have in Your Plan?
There are some good general guidelines that we would like to offer for all gardeners in the month of July. We have listed these below, and we do hope that you find them very useful.
Watering
As mentioned above, there is usually enough rain in July to satisfy most gardeners. That said, in certain areas of the country, dry spells can quickly happen. Just be aware that even with 2-3 days of sunshine, the soil can quickly dry out. We would recommend watering plants every 2 days if there has been no rain. And as always remember, the best time to water plants is in the cooler mornings and/or the evenings.
Liquid Feeding
It really does depend on the type of plants you have growing, but plants such as dahlias, roses and hanging baskets will get great benefit from a liquid feed.
The UK Flower Garden
Your main activity in the month of July will be hoeing and weeding garden borders and any flower beds that you may have. This is a very good time to prevent weeds from taking root.
You should also deadhead any plants in borders, beds, containers or hanging baskets. Once you have that done, then it is always a good time to water and feed those plants to keep them healthy and growing. Likewise if you have roses you should also deadhead those and feed them well.
You can cut back and prune summer perennials like geraniums and delphiniums.
You can plant what are called Autumn bulbs in the month of July as the soil is warm. These are bulbs such as Colchiums, Sternbergia and Nerines.
You can also sow wallflowers, forget-me-nots, honesty and foxglove and they will bloom the following year.
Finally keep an eye out for the typical garden pests such as aphids, snails and beetles and take care of those at the first sign.
The Vegetable Garden
The summer months are a great time to carry on with what is called succession planting. You can do this in vegetable gardens and container pots to have a longer harvesting time in your garden.
In early July there are still plenty of crops that you can sow including French and runner beans, peas, beetroot, carrots, turnips, swedes, cauliflowers, chicory, endive, kohl rabi, squash and courgette.
Always bear in mind, that you can continually grow salad crops throughout the UK summer period. This of course includes the many lettuce types, spring onions and radishes.
You can also plant broccoli, spinach and mustard.
Always keep in mind to check for pests, and also to hoe to make sure weeds don't get a grip in your vegetable garden
The Fruit Garden
This is a great month for anyone growing fruit in their garden as July is the start of the fruit picking season in the garden. Our number one tip is to look out for the very hungry birds. In July, currants, raspberries and gooseberries will be ready, or close to being ready at this time.
If you plan on using netting to keep the birds at bay, then make sure there are no gaps.
Strawberries
Strawberries are getting close to be ready to harvest. This is a very good month to tidy up the strawberry patch. Runners will be growing thick and fast and should be removed. (Unless you need them for propogating)
July Garden Summary
As you can see there is plenty to be getting on with. This is the time to keep a watchful eye out for garden pests. It is also a very important month to get the hoe out and make sure that weeds don't take root and try to establish.
Lawns should of course be mowed, and if the weather is exceptionally good, then it will requite regular watering.
