Gardening Jobs for July

July is one of the most rewarding months in the garden. Borders are bursting with colour, vegetables are cropping heavily and many of the jobs carried out earlier in the year are paying dividends. While it's tempting to simply sit back and enjoy the results, regular maintenance now will keep plants healthy, productive and flowering well into late summer. Even here in the west of Ireland, where showers are never too far away, periods of warm weather can quickly dry out containers, hanging baskets and greenhouse crops, so staying on top of watering is key - and lets not forget the weeds...

Sweet peas should be picked regularly and any spent flowers removed to encourage more flowering. If you don't, pods start to develop, as you can see here to the right, and this will bring flower production to an end. Image by ivabalk from Pixabay

Ornamental Flowers, Trees & Shrubs

Keep flowering displays looking their best by regularly deadheading bedding plants, roses, dahlias, cosmos and other summer favourites. Removing spent flowers encourages plants to put their energy into producing new blooms rather than seed.

Dahlias will now be flowering freely. Feed weekly with a high-potash fertiliser, continue tying taller varieties securely to their supports and remove faded blooms promptly to keep flowers coming until autumn.

Sweet peas should be picked frequently, even if you don't need them indoors. Allowing seed pods to develop will quickly bring flowering to an end.

Lavender can be lightly trimmed once flowering begins to fade, removing spent flower stems while avoiding cutting back into old woody growth.

Continue summer pruning of trained fruit trees such as espaliers and cordons where appropriate, and remove any suckers growing from the base of grafted trees or roses.

Watch carefully for aphids, lily beetle, vine weevil damage and powdery mildew, particularly during warm, humid spells.

Grow Your Own

For Outdoors

July is a month of both harvesting and succession sowing. Continue sowing quick-growing crops including lettuce, rocket, radish, beetroot, spring onions and spinach to provide fresh harvests into autumn.

French beans, runner beans, courgettes, peas and broad beans should all be producing well now. Pick crops regularly to encourage continued production.

Keep potatoes well watered during dry periods, particularly while tubers are swelling. Continue checking crops for signs of blight, especially after prolonged humid weather.

Brassicas, leeks and late celery can be transplanted into their final positions if started earlier in the season, ensuring they are watered in well.

Support climbing beans as they grow and continue hoeing between rows to keep weeds under control and reduce competition for moisture.

Soft fruit such as raspberries, gooseberries, currants and blueberries should be harvested as they ripen. Summer-fruiting raspberries can be pruned after fruiting by removing old canes at ground level and tying in this year's new growth.

For Polytunnels & Greenhouses

Tomatoes should now be cropping well. Continue removing side shoots from cordon varieties, tie in new growth regularly and feed weekly with a high-potash tomato fertiliser.

Maintain consistent watering to help prevent blossom end rot and fruit splitting. Water early in the day where possible and avoid wetting foliage.

Cucumbers can go into overdrive at this time of year so harvest and sideshoot regularly to keep the plants tidy, prevent overcrowding and allow for airflow. You'll probably find you'll have plenty of to give away to neighbours and friends at this time of year.

Cucumber plants can grow a bit wild at this time of year so be sure to remove any extra trailing side-shoots. These usually appear at a leaf junction with the main stem as you can see above.

Harvest peppers, chillies and aubergines regularly to encourage further fruit production. 

Ventilation is more important than ever during July. Open doors, vents and windows on warm days to improve airflow and reduce humidity, helping to minimise fungal diseases.

Continue sowing salads, basil, coriander and other quick-growing crops for a steady supply through the summer months.

Indoor Plants

Houseplants may require more frequent watering during warm weather but always check compost before watering to avoid overdoing it.

Continue feeding flowering and foliage plants regularly and remove faded flowers or damaged leaves to keep plants looking their best.

Keep an eye out for spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs, which become more active in warmer conditions.

If houseplants are enjoying a summer holiday outdoors, continue checking them regularly for pests before bringing them back indoors later in the season.

General Maintenance

Water deeply rather than little and often, encouraging roots to grow down into the soil. Early morning or evening watering helps reduce evaporation.

Containers and hanging baskets will benefit from regular feeding throughout the month to maintain healthy growth and continuous flowering.

Lawns may slow down during hot, dry weather. Raise the mower height slightly and avoid cutting during periods of drought to reduce stress on the grass.

Keep ponds topped up with rainwater where possible, remove blanket weed as needed and ensure pumps remain free from debris.

Continue tying in climbing plants, trimming hedges where appropriate and removing weeds before they have a chance to set seed.

Final Thoughts

July is a month to enjoy everything you've worked towards since spring. Between harvesting fresh produce, enjoying colourful borders and spending longer evenings outdoors, it's one of the most satisfying times to be a gardener. A little regular maintenance now will keep your garden performing beautifully throughout the rest of the summer.