welcome to garden corner for July 2007 Garden Taks for the Month | July 2007

Garden Tasks of the Month for July
The climate's mayhem and barbecues are being wheeled out one moment... and then covered again the next!.
Mid July is predicted by some to finally bring some decent weather but that's only a prediction!
As far as any gardening advice goes for this month, we can only offer advice and let you judge for yourself what to follow and what not depending on the part of the country you're living in and day-to-day weather conditions!



The Flower garden

Prop up tall perennials such as lupins, delphiniums and gladioli if staking was neglected earlier in the season.
Liquid feed containerised plants and keep well watered in dry spells.
Cut back plants in baskets and then feed then, so encouraging new growth and helping revive tired displays.
Some late-flowering border perennials may benefit from a quick-acting feed before they come into bloom, especially if the soil is not very fertile.
Mulching borders can help retain moisture, and keep down the weeds - this will save a lot of work. A really thick layer of mulch (5-7.5cm/2-3in all over) works best.
Take cuttings of patio and container plants ready for next year.
Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as autumn crocuses, Colchicum, Sternbergia, Amaryllis and Nerine, can be planted now.
Cut back delphiniums and geraniums after the first flush of flowers to encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.
Dead-head flower borders regularly to prolong flowering. Disbud and dead-head dahlias if growing for large blooms. Leave roses that produce attractive hips.
Look out for tall, flowering stalks on established bamboos and remove them promptly. Flowering can weaken the plants, as well as being unsightly.
Start collecting seed from plants you want to grow next year, especially annuals such as Calendula, poppy and love-in-a-mist. Perennials and biennials can also be grown from seed, but will take a year to bloom.
Some seeds are best planted just after collection, and others may need specific climatic conditions to break dormancy (e.g. some alpines). If unsure, then sow seeds in ‘batches’, i.e. one immediately after collecting, one in winter, and one in the following spring.
Divide clumps of bearded iris.
Plants with a carpet-like growth habit, e.g. some alpines, can become patchy, with central areas dying off. These patches can be in-filled with gritty compost, to encourage re-growth.
Cut flowers for indoors, using sharp scissors or secateurs and place into water straight away to prevent wilting. Wear gloves if cutting Euphorbia to avoid the irritant sap.
Pinks and carnations that have become leggy, can be propagated by layering or by cuttings. Propagation can improve the appearance of untidy clumps.
Most perennial weeds are best dealt with in the summer when the weeds are in active growth. Digging out often works, but applying a weedkiller can be more practical, particularly for large areas. Products containing glyphosate will kill the roots, as well as the top growth, However, glyphosate is non-selective and plants you want to keep should be protected, either by covering them, or by using a paint-on formulation.

Pest & disease watch
Inspect lilies for the scarlet lily beetle whose larvae can strip plants in days.
Vine weevils can be a problem at this time of year. Pot plants are particularly vulnerable.
Small holes and tears in new foliage of ornamentals such as Caryopteris, Fuchsia and Dahlia are most likely caused by capsid bug damage.
Sudden collapse of apparently healthy clematis, especially the large-flowered cultivars, could indicate clematis wilt. Cut stems to ground level and they may still recover, if they were planted deep enough to ensure healthy buds were buried below the soil surface.
In dry weather powdery mildew can play havoc with plants such as clematis, roses and Lonicera.
Look out for and treat black spot on roses and scab on Pyracantha.
Watch out for aphids (greeenfly and blackfly) on stems and leaves of young shoots. These can be squashed in the fingers if caught early, avoiding the need for insecticides.

Trees & Shrubs
Trees, shrubs, climbers and hedges

Tie-in climbers and ramblers as they grow.
Remove rose suckers and tree suckers.
Prune deciduous magnolias if necessary.
Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering.
Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season. They can get out of hand very quickly. New nuisance legislation has come into force regarding hedge heights. Contact the Office of the Depute Prime Minister on 0870 1226 236 to request the booklet explaining the legislation (product code 04SCDD02891/C).
Ensure newly planted trees and shrubs do not dry out. They often need much more water than people imagine.
Take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs such as Choisya, Hydrangea and Philadelphus. Root them in pots of gritty compost in a cold frame or even with a plastic bag tied over them.
Clematis can be propagated by taking internodal cuttings (i.e. taking stem sections above and below a leaf, rather than cutting the stem immediately below a leaf joint).
Air-layering is another method of propagation that can be used for some climbers, such as Akebia, and some shrubs, such as Magnolia.

Pest & disease watch
Brown patches on conifers may indicate an earlier infestation by the cypress aphids. Telltale signs include black sooty mould along the stems and shed skin cases. Spraying earlier in the summer may have helped, but once damage is done, conifers can take a long time to recover. Where hedges are affected prune out brown shoots and tie in neighbouring branches to help fill the gaps.
Thickened and curled margins on bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are a sign of damage by the bay sucker. Scale insects can also affect bays at this time of year.
Neat circular areas removed from the edges of rose and other leaves are telltale signs of leaf-cutter bees at work. These fascinating creatures are best tolerated since damage is rarely severe.
Yellow and distorted leaves on cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) indicate a powdery mildew problem.
You may notice damage to leaves of Viburnum by viburnum beetles. The damage is not usually bad enough to warrant treatment.

The Greenhouse

Many indoor plants benefit from being placed outside on the patio for the summer. Moving many plants out of the conservatory will save them from baking under glass, and lessen some pest and disease problems, such as red spider mite.
Ventilate and shade sunrooms and conservatories to prevent scorch damage to remaining plants.
Water houseplants freely when in growth, and feed as necessary (often weekly or fortnightly). Water plants in early morning or late evening to avoid the risk of leaf scorch on hot days.
Damp down greenhouses on hot days.
Cuttings can be taken and grown on in the glasshouse. Fuschias and pelargoniums are good candidates.
Carry on pricking out any seedlings sown earlier in the season, when they are large enough to handle. Other young plants, already pricked out, may be ready for transplanting to larger pots.

Pest & disease watch
Tidy up fallen leaves, flowers and compost - this will prevent potential pest and disease problems.
Many conservatory and greenhouse pests will be active during the summer months. Check plants regularly for signs of glasshouse whitefly, leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects.
Yellow card sticky traps are a valuable, low-cost tool for monitoring numbers and types of flying pests in the greenhouse. If large numbers of a particular pest are found, treatment can be instigated.
Ensuring that greenhouse plants are kept in appropriate cultural conditions will help them resist attacks by pests and diseases.

 

The Kitchen garden

Remember to water plants regularly, to ensure healthy development of fruits.
Fruit picking can begin in earnest, with strawberries, cherries, summer-fruiting raspberries, currants and the earliest of the plums. Remember to harvest red, and white, currants in bunches, still on the stalk - they will keep and taste better. Blackcurrants can be picked singly or in clusters, as preferred.
Sideshoots that form on pinched-out grape laterals can be stopped at one leaf. Leaves that are shading grape bunches can be removed, to speed ripening of the clusters. Harvest indoor grapes when the skin becomes translucent.
Later in the month summer pruning of restricted fruits (e.g. cordons, espaliers, fans) can begin. In northern regions delay until August. Cherries and plums can be summer pruned after cropping.
Thin apples after the June drop if still overcrowded. Remove blemished and 'king' (i.e. central) fruits from the clusters first. Branches still heavily laden after thinning can be supported with a V-shaped stake.
Protect ripening peach, nectarine, and apricot fruits from the birds; trained trees can be covered with nets fairly easily.
When summer-fruiting raspberries have finished cropping promptly cut out the old canes.
If possible, water tree, bush and cane fruit thoroughly once every seven to 10 days during dry spells. Mulching will help them retain water where hosepipe bans or drought orders are in place. Keep large-fruited apples, such as 'Bramley's Seedling' particularly well watered to help avoid problems with bitter pit.
Continue to peg down strawberry runners if new plants are needed. This will encourage the plantlets to root.
Continue to tie in and train new blackberry canes. Keep new canes separate from older, fruiting canes to ease later pruning.
Propagate blackberries and other cane fruits with long, lax stems by tip layering.
Cut back sideshoots on gooseberries to four or five leaves, or just beyond the fruit clusters. This will speed ripening (by increasing sun on the fruits), encourage fruit bud formation for next year, and control aphids on the new growth. Red and white currants may be pruned in the same way.
Thinking of growing blueberries? If so, check your soil pH is sufficiently acidic - blueberries need a pH of 5.5-5 to prosper. Otherwise grow in containers of ericaceous compost. Protect them from birds.

Pest & disease watch
Apple and pear scab is very prevalent, showing up as large blackish spots on both the leaves and fruit.
Bright orange spots on the upper surface of pear leaves can indicate a problem with pear rust. This disease can also affect and be carried by juniper bushes.
Look out for codling moth caterpillar damage, which is evident as a single brown hole piercing the skin of apples.
Woolly aphids may be visible on apple and pear trees as a white, fluffy coating. It is best to treat them early, as they will only become more prevalent as the summer progresses.
Treat American gooseberry mildew, and watch out for gooseberry sawfly damage.
Keep an eye on strawberry plants’ performance, as yield declines after about three years. You may need to prepare a new bed, and order catalogues to select new plants for September planting.
Raised red blisters on the leaves of currants indicate an infestation of currant blister aphid.
Coarse leaves, slightly enlarged buds, and reduced yield on blackcurrant bushes can be a sign of big bud mite or reversion virus. Unfortunately, the only cure is to dig them up and burn them.
Remove mouldy or damaged strawberry fruits and leaves, to prevent the spread of the fluffy grey mould, Botrytis.

Vegetables
There's lots to harvest in the vegetable patch, including spinach, peas, beets, carrots, salads, potatoes and globe artichokes; shallots and spring-planted garlic may be ready as well.
Ensure all vegetables get a regular, consistent supply of water, using rainwater or recycled grey water wherever possible . This will aid healthy development, and help to avoid diseases, disorders and bolting.
Continue to hoe off weeds in dry weather. Done in wet weather, the weeds are liable to re-root.
Sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel, and autumn/winter salads such as lamb’s lettuce.
Carrots can still be sown, but beware carrot fly when thinning existing seedlings
Last chance to sow French and runner beans (south of England only).
Plant out leeks and brassicas for a winter supply, if not yet done.
Summer cauliflowers may need shading to prevent the curds scorching in bright sun.
Pick courgettes before they become marrows.
Overwintered onions can be lifted and used.
Don't forget to stop cordon tomatoes by removing the main shoot. Look for the leaf that's above the fourth truss and cut it off here. This should ensure that all the fruits ripen by the end of the season. Bush tomatoes can be left to their own devices.
Climbing beans may also need stopping, to maximise cropping on existing sideshoots. Stop them when they reach the tops of their supports.
Beans need sufficient watering to help the seed pods set.
Remember to pick your bean and pea pods as they mature, to stop them becoming tough and stringy later in the summer.
Climbing or cordon-grown vegetables may need checking to ensure they are tied in sufficiently to supports. Branches can easily snap off as the fruits mature. Leaves shading larger fruits can be removed to maximise sun exposure for ripening.
Any non self-blanching celery cultivars will need earthing up (with a protective collar of paper between the stems and the soil). Endive cultivars can be blanched by covering with an up-turned pot (with the drainage holes blocked off) filled with straw to exclude the light. Blanching makes these vegetables sweeter and tender.
Herbs can be harvested to keep the young shoots coming throughout the summer. Excess pickings can be dried for use throughout the year.

Pest & disease watch
Watch out for early leaf rots caused by potato blight and tomato blight.
Stunted potato plants should be lifted to check the roots for the tiny nodules of potato cyst eelworm.
Look out for asparagus beetle. Pick off the scarlet adult beetles and creamy-black larvae from the stems and foliage.
Keep an early eye out for the sunken brown patches of blossom end rot on tomatoes, especially if the weather has been dry. It can be a sign of irregular watering. Pale, haloed ‘ghost spots’ can be avoided by not splashing the fruits when watering tomatoes.