July in the garden

July in the gardenis the time when we enjoy the sweet fruits of strawberries and raspberries, as well as cherries and cherries. This month, the gardens may suffer from heat and drought, so remember to water your plants regularly.In July, in the gardenswe are finishing basic fertilization of ornamental trees and shrubs, as the current doses of fertilizers will be sufficient for them until autumn. See what are the most importantgardening jobs in July !

July in the garden - we collect summer fruit

July in the orchard

• It's time to harvest strawberries, wild strawberries, apricots (we pick the apricots when they are fully ripe because they ripen unevenly - we harvest several times) and cherries.A little later you can start harvesting cherries (if they are to be used for preserves, they can be picked without stalks, but they must be processed quickly), raspberries (pick without stalks), currants (pick with whole clusters as soon as they are ripe), gooseberries (pick them when it is well-developed but still hard) and blueberry.
• In order to avoid fruit diminution and lower yielding, it is worth watering fruit plants regularly.

• It may so happen that under the influence of a large increase in fruit, the branches of the trees will break and detach from the trunk. The most fragile is pear and plum wood. Improperly formed apple trees are also at risk. Therefore, it is worth making supports for branches with a lot of fruit.
• After the fruit harvest is finished, we cut the cherry and cherry fruit trees. Cut the sweet cherries moderately (shorten the top and brighten the branches). Cherries, on the other hand, are cut more intensively (we remove old, hanging twigs, growing towards the center of the crown and overlapping each other).

• In the case of raspberries, after harvesting the fruits, cut out the shoots that have already been bearing fruit. This year's shoots should be tied to supports.
• We also cut out the fruitless summer shoots of the grapevine. Shorten fruiting shoots after 6-8 leaves above the fruiting cluster.
• Pear trees and apple trees grown in rows require pruning every summer. Such trees are carried horizontally or in a U-shape, using appropriately stretched wires. The trunk, which lengthens each year, produces side shoots, which we prune when they are fully developed. Thanks to this pruning, the trees will produce more fruiting shoots, which in turn will translate into higher yields.
• The strawberry harvest is finished in the second half of July. Now it is very important to properly care for strawberries after harvest. First of all, we remove the litter and cut the leaves about 6 cm above the ground. Then we weed the inter-rows and water the strawberries, especially when it is dry and hot.Strawberries should also be fertilized on poorly fertile soils. If the plants are already 4 years old, remove them and prepare a new place for strawberry cultivation.
• During the summer, we can acutely feel the effects of the development of pests and diseases of fruit trees, which we did not prevent in the previous months. After the fruit is harvested, remove all fruit residues from the ground with symptoms of diseases and pests, as they may cause the problem to reoccur next year.
• This month is the period of combating apple and pear scab. Spraying is necessary when the summer is humid. Pests may include aphids, cotton, blackberry and spider mites.

• If in the last year there was fruit rot caused by brown rot, then in early July, appropriate spraying against this disease should be carried out (the treatment should be repeated after 14 days). We should also remember to remove fruit with symptoms of this disease.

July in the vegetable garden

• In warm and dry weather, it is necessary to properly irrigate the crops. Root vegetables, cruciferous and cucurbits need a lot of water, as well as beans (during flowering and forming pods).
• In the summer we should regularly look after the cultivated vegetables. The signs of disease and pests as well as deficiency must not be underestimatednutrients in the soil. In early July, downy mildew of cucurbits may appear. In the second half of the month, we can observe black cruciferous seeds on late cabbages. We should also prevent potato blight, especially if potatoes are already affected by this disease. Let's also pay attention to celery, as celery septoriosis may appear on them. The pests in the vegetable garden can be attacked by the carrot sirloin, beetroot cream or the Colorado potato beetle.
• Let's not forget to fertilize tomatoes, which need a lot of nitrogen and potassium, responsible for the taste and durability of tomato fruits. Tomatoes should also remove unnecessary side shoots growing from the axils of the leaves.
• In the vegetable garden it is time to sow leaf lettuce, radish and late varieties of black radish, kohlrabi, kale and spinach. This month we can still sow fennel.
• We plant endive seedlings, Brussels sprouts, spinach and fennel grown from seedlings.
• It's herb harvest time. Harvest the leaves of oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon, garden savory and mint before the flowering season, as these herbs lose their aroma during the flowering period. It is important that we are not late with the harvest.
• The harvest season for many vegetables has also come. As we grow up, we harvest early kohlrabi, summer broccoli and cauliflower (with a 10 to 15 cm stem), early radish varieties, peas, broad beans and green beans. The harvest of early cabbage should be completed by mid-July, and at the end of the month - of medium-early varieties.
• " Harvest in bunches of carrots, parsley, leek, celery and onion with chives. "
• We also collect pumpkin vegetables. At the end of the month, you can start making preserves from these vegetables (e.g. sour zucchini), the fruit of the patison intended for preserves should have a diameter of 7 to 10 cm.

July in the ornamental garden

• If we did not do it in June, at the beginning of July you have to dig out the bulbs of hyacinths, narcissus, checkerboards, breakfasts and ornamental garlic blooming in spring. We must dig out hyacinth bulbs every year, because they do not tolerate summer rainfall. It is enough to dig out the bulbs of the remaining plants every 3 years, when they become too thick in the bed. Browse the dug out onions and throw away those infected with diseases. We store the rest to plant them in the fall.
• In dry and sunny weather, remember to water the plants regularly. It is worth sticking to the principle that it is better to water profusely once a week than superficially every day. Thanks to less frequent but abundant watering, the soil will accumulate a supply of moisture, and the plants will be forced to take root more deeply.Watering in the late afternoon is most effective, as the plants can then use the moisture throughout the evening and night.

• The soil should be loosened with a hoe to prevent the formation of deep cracks in the soil in the beds and beds, which could damage the plant roots. Thanks to loosening, the soil will retain moisture longer after watering or rainfall.
• In warm weather, check the water level in the garden pond frequently. If it is too low, water should be topped up. This is important when we have a foil lined tank. The exposed foil deteriorates quickly when exposed to sunlight. In addition, shallow water heats up more, which may adversely affect the vegetation of the pond and promote too abundant algae growth.
• You can also sow some biennials, such as horned violet, forget-me-not or daisy. Most of them are sown for inspection or on the seedbed.After 3 to 4 weeks, dive the seedlings for inspection or in the beds. The exception is mullein, which we sow immediately to a permanent place, because this plant hates transplanting.
• In perennial beds and under ornamental shrubs, it is worth using mulching. The mulch reduces the growth of weeds and the evaporation of water from the soil. Thanks to this, it will not be necessary to water the plants so often. A good mulch material for acidophilic plants is composted pine bark.
• You will be able to budding roses from mid-July to the end of August.
• We can collect semi-woody cuttings from deciduous (mainly evergreen) trees and shrubs throughout the summer.
• July is also a good time to breed heathers. This month, and also in August, we can take the apical cuttings from the heather and root them in a mixture of acid peat and sand.
• It attacks many pests in July, so the plants should be looked after frequently, paying particular attention to the underside of the leaves.
• Dahlia and golden leaves can be eaten by earwigs. To get rid of pests, we block pots filled with wood wool or hay on poles upside down. In such traps, pests will seek shelter during the day and create nests. The contents of the pots with pests must be burned.

July on the balcony and terrace

• In warm and sunny weather, plants planted in boxes require daily watering. On extremely hot days, some plants, such as petunia, surfinia and geraniums, need to be watered up to twice a day - in the early morning and evening.

• In addition to watering, balcony flowers also need an adequate supply of fertilizers. We supply them, depending on the species, every seven or every fourteen days. Liquid fertilizer is a good choice.
• Lobelia, epimedium, saffron, pelargonium or garden petunia will re-bloom if we keep removing blown inflorescences.
• Summer is a period of increased aphid occurrence. These pests are extremely dangerous because they not only suck the juices from plants, which can lead to their complete destruction, but also carry many dangerous viral diseases. When we spot the first insects, rinse the plants with a strong stream of water, and when this turns out to be ineffective, you will have to use aphidicides. At home and on the balcony, we can safely use preparations based on natural ingredients, such as Agrocover Spray.

Lawn in July

• Remember about regular fertilization and airing the lawn, which will inhibit the growth of moss and weeds. Plants such as dandelions, marigolds, St. Nicholas' Day andremove daisies along with the roots so that they do not exhaust the lawn.
• The lawn must be mowed regularly in summer. Trim intensively used surfaces every week, and poorly exploited - every 3 to 4 weeks.
• During the summer, the lawn also requires regular watering (2 to 3 times a week) and fertilizing (once a month).

How to plan work in the garden?

If you want to prepare as best as possible for gardening work for a given month and be sure that you will never miss anything important that needs to be done in the garden again, use the resourceful gardener's planner calendar book. It is a practical gardening guide with a gardening calendar for the whole year and a place for your own notes. More information in the description on our store's website: -)

The text was prepared on the basis of My Garden, Delta, Warsaw 1993, pp. 484-491, and articles published in My Beautiful Garden No. 7/99, Działkowiec No. 7/96 and Działkowiec No. 7/04.