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  4. July

Your Monthly Planting Guide

Gardening in July

We never know quite what the weather will be like in July, so when the sun shines, take every opportunity to get out and enjoy your garden. Most plants are in full bloom now, and there’s plenty to do to keep things looking good, whether it’s watering plants in dry spells, deadheading faded flowers or keeping on top of the weeding. And don’t forget to take some time to simply sit and appreciate all the results of your hard work!

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What to plant and do in July?

You’ll really start to reap the rewards of your gardening efforts in July with so many vegetables and fruit to harvest. There’s still lots to do and plant in July, so choose your favourite category below and read our top gardening tips for the month.

  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Lawns
  • Herbs & Spices
  • Ornamental plants
Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Delicious in salads and sandwiches, the crisp, sweet crunch of a cucumber is one of the joys of summer.

Read more
Peas

Peas

Nothing beats home-grown peas for their tenderness and taste.

Read more
How to grow onions

Onions

Onions (Allium cepa) are an essential ingredient in every cook’s store cupboard.

Read more
how to grow courgettes

Courgettes (Cucurbita pepo)

Courgettes are now a common, summer staple in the vegetable garden.

Read more
Caring for Runner Beans

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus)

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are among the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow.

Read more
growing salad leaves

Salad leaves

Grow your own salad and you can pick exactly how much you want and need.

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growing sweetcorn

Sweetcorn

Sweetcorn, or maize, is sweet, tender and delicious – especially when cooked as soon as it is picked. Plenty of sun and...

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how to grow spring onions

Spring Onions

Spring onions are a delicious addition to a whole range of dishes, from summer salads to stir-fries.

Read more
How to grow potatoes

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are tubers that grow and form at the plant’s roots.

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How to grow tomatoes

Tomatoes

Nothing beats the taste of your own home-grown tomatoes, freshly-picked and warm from the summer sun.

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How to grow garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Garlic is the base of so many delicious dishes, and growing garlic at home is now very popular.

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How to grow pumpkins

Pumpkins

Delicious in pies, soups and stews, and full of vitamins and minerals, pumpkins are a tasty autumn and winter treat.

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How to Grow Lupins

How to grow and care for Lupins

Lupins are a traditional addition to any garden, providing colourful flowers from late spring through to mid-summer.

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How to Grow French Beans

How to Grow French Beans

French beans are a versatile vegetable, producing attractive, long, thin pods, and creamy haricot beans. They are a...

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How to grow and care for Cavolo Nero

How to grow and care for Cavolo Nero

‘Cavolo nero’ is a variety of kale, closely related to broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

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How to grow and care for Rocket salad leaves

How to grow and care for Rocket

Salad rocket, like its name, is a fast-growing salad leaf, perfect for adding a peppery spiciness to your salads.

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How to grow and care for Chard

How to grow and care for Chard

Chard, or Swiss Chard, is a delicious and beautiful plant which will bring harvests to the kitchen and colour to the...

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how to grow strawberries

Strawberries

If you’re a strawberry fan, the many varieties of ‘Fragaria × ananassa’ are easy to grow at home.

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How to grow raspberries

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus)

What could be better than a bowl of sweet, freshly-picked raspberries in summer?

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How to grow blueberries

Blueberries

Eaten fresh, baked in muffins or as the star attraction in jams or desserts, blueberries are always delicious.

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Avocado

Avocado

Avocados are a favourite fruit used in kitchens around the world.

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Love the Garden / Geranium

Geraniums

Geraniums are versatile plants which can add a multitude of colours and scents to the garden. Put these popular plants...

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How to Grow Banana Plants

How to Grow Banana Plants

With their exotic and enormous foliage, banana plants add a taste of the tropics to the garden. In the UK they rarely...

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How to Grow Butternut Squash

How to Grow Butternut Squash

Butternut squash are a late season favourite, with attractive fruits which will keep well throughout the autumn and...

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How to grow and care for peaches

How to grow and care for peaches

What better way to round off a summer meal than with a luscious peach? Even better, a peach you’ve grown yourself!

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How to grow and care for mango trees

How to grow and care for mango trees

Everyone loves mangoes, but did you know that you can grow a mango tree from a seed?

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How to grow and care for cherry trees

How to grow and care for cherry trees

Cherry trees are truly beautiful, with different species offering gorgeous flowers, bark, leaves, and fruit. You can...

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how to grow basil

Basil

Cultivated in herb gardens for centuries, Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed and it makes a delicious...

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how to grow coriander

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander is a must in salads and as a fragrant green addition to Indian, Thai and Chinese curries.

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How to grow chillies

Chillies (Capsicum annuum)

It seems that most people now have at a few chilli pepper plants at home.

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How to grow and care for peppermint plants

How to grow and care for peppermint plants

Peppermint is super easy to grow. The flowers attract beneficial wildlife to the garden, and peppermint plants are...

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How to grow sunflowers

Sunflowers

If you want to grow something spectacular, plant sunflowers.

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Caring for Alliums

Alliums

Alliums belong to the same family as onions, garlic and leeks, as you can tell from the scent when you crush the foliage...

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how to grow sweet peas

Sweetpeas (Lathyrus odoratus)

Sweetpeas (Lathyrus odoratus) are an incredibly popular summer climbing plant. They produce masses of flowers all summer...

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How to grow and care for Geums

How to grow and care for Geums

Pretty and delicate, Geums provide colour throughout the summer. They are frost tolerant, happy in a range of soil types...

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How to grow and care for Honeysuckle

How to grow and care for Honeysuckle

Evocative of summer country gardens twining around garden fences, walls or pergolas, Honeysuckles are a favourite...

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How to grow and care for Helenium

How to grow and care for Helenium

Bearing bold flowers in orange, red and yellow, Heleniums are a bright and cheerful addition to the garden border.

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How to grow and care for Nerine bulbs

How to grow and care for Nerines

Perfect for autumn colour, the brightly coloured Nerine is a great addition to a sun-soaked border. They can also be...

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How to grow and care for Violas

How to grow and care for Violas

The Viola is an adaptable low growing bedding plant coming in both classic and trailing varieties.

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How to grow and care for Cosmos

How to grow and care for Cosmos

Cosmos, also known as Mexican Aster, is a great low maintenance and long flowering annual.

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How to grow and care for Snapdragons

How to grow and care for Snapdragons

Coming in a range of colours and sizes, Snapdragons bloom from June through to October on tall spire stems.

Read more

What vegetables to plant in July

The vegetable garden is in full swing in July, and there’s plenty to do, with winter vegetable seedlings to plant out, successional crops like salad leaves to sow, and delicious vegetables to harvest for the dinner table. Keep up with the weeding, watering and feeding to give your vegetables everything they need to ripen, and be on the lookout for any signs of pests and diseases. 

Sow outdoors directly into well-prepared soil, in beds, borders or containers.

  • Beetroot
  • Salad leaves
  • Kohl rabi
  • Pak choi
  • Radishes
  • Spring onions
  • Turnips

Plant out seedlings into vegetable beds:

  • Sprouting broccoli
  • Winter cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Brussels sprouts

What vegetables to harvest in July;

There are plenty of vegetables to harvest this month, giving you a chance to enjoy the taste of your own home-grown, fresh-picked produce. These vegetables should all be ready to harvest in July:

  • Courgettes
  • Garlic
  • Runner beans
  • Beetroot
  • Peas
  • Chard
  • Potatoes
  • Salad
  • Tomatoes

Vegetable plant maintenance in July

  • Pinch out tomato side shoots on cordon tomatoes. There’s no need to do this for bush tomatoes.
  • Feed tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and cucumbers weekly with a liquid high potash feed.
  • Harvest courgettes, runner beans and French beans regularly – they taste best when young and tender, and it encourages the plants to produce more.
  • Tie in cucumbers and cordon tomatoes to supports.
  • Pinch out the tips of aubergine, squash and courgette plants to produce bushy plants.
  • Water regularly, especially container-grown plants.
  • Check for cabbage white eggs under brassica leaves and squash any you find.
  • Earth up potatoes to improve the yield and prevent those developing near the surface turning green.
  • Weed regularly, hoeing carefully around plants to avoid damaging shallow roots.

What fruit to plant in July

There’s an abundance of fruit to harvest in July, especially soft fruit like currants, summer-fruiting raspberries, gooseberries and the last of the strawberries. Use them fresh in delicious puddings and tarts, or freeze them to keep you well stocked with fruit for the winter. These fruits should all be ready to harvest in July:

  • Strawberries
  • Blackcurrants
  • Redcurrants
  • Whitecurrants
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Cherries
  • Apricots
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines

Fruit plant maintenance in July

  • Thin out fruit on fruit trees like apples, plums, pears and peaches by removing some of the fruit from each cluster. This helps to concentrate the plants’ energies in developing the remaining fruits.
  • Feed container-grown fruit plants.
  • Feed citrus trees with a specialized citrus feed.
  • Water container-grown fruit trees regularly in dry spells.
  • Peg down runners from strawberry plants to produce new plants for next year. If you don’t need new strawberry plants, cut the runners off.
  • When summer-fruiting raspberries have finished cropping, cut out the old fruiting canes to ground level.
  • Prune stone fruit such as plum, cherry, apricot and peach trees now, as there’s less risk of infection by silver leaf disease if the trees are pruned in summer.
  • Prune espalier, fan and cordon trained fruit trees.
  • Treat apple scab by cutting off and disposing of any infected twigs, leaves or fruit.

Lawn maintenance in July

Lawns get a lot of wear in summer when we’re all out in our gardens enjoying the sunshine. The main task for this month is to keep your lawn looking tidy by mowing regularly, trimming the edges and giving it a feed if necessary.

In very hot, dry summers, lawns can start to look a little brown, but don’t rush to water yours straightaway if this happens. Grass is tough and will generally bounce back once it gets some rain, so be water-wise and wait a while.

  • Apply a high-nitrogen feed to the lawn if you have not already done this in previous months.
  • Tackle lawn weeds – dig individual weeds up by hand or use a selective lawn weedkiller to tackle heavy infestations.
  • Water newly laid turf or recently seeded lawns regularly in hot dry weather to avoid them drying out before their roots have had a chance to establish.
  • Mow the lawn regularly. In hot, dry summers, raise the blades on your mower to reduce the stress on the grass.
  • Use edging shears to keep the edges of the lawn trimmed around borders and paving.
  • If you do need to water established lawns, do it in the mornings to reduce the risk of red thread, a fungal disease.

What herbs and spices to plant in July

Herb gardens really come into their own in summer, bursting with growth all ready for harvesting and using in the kitchen. Sow these herbs in July for a constant supply of fresh leaves:

Sow outdoors in pots or in well-prepared soil:

  • Basil
  • Coriander
  • Dill

What herbs and spices to harvest in July

Many herbs benefit from regular harvesting and will simply put on more growth, ready to be used. All herbs can be harvested in July, including:

  • Lavender flowers (for drying)
  • Borage flowers
  • Basil
  • Coriander
  • Thyme
  • Sage
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Dill
  • Mint
  • Chives

Herbs and spices plant maintenance in July

  • Water container-grown herbs regularly in hot weather.
  • Harvest herbs like thyme, basil and rosemary regularly for cooking. This promotes the growth of fresh new leaves.
  • Sow annual herbs like coriander every few weeks, so that you have a continuous supply through summer.
  • Pinch off any developing flowers from annual and biennial herbs like basil, coriander and parsley, as the flavour of the leaves deteriorates once the plants have flowered (this isn’t the case for shrubby herbs like rosemary and lavender).
  • When harvesting herbs for drying, pick them early in the morning as soon as they’re dry, so that they’re still filled with their essential oils.

What flowers and bulbs to plant in July

Perennials, annuals and summer-flowering bulbs are all in full bloom in July, so take some time to sit and enjoy the results of all your hard work in the garden. There are still flowers to sow and bulbs to plant though, to make sure your garden keeps on looking great throughout the year.

Sow these seeds in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill now for flowers next spring and summer: 

  • Aquilegia
  • Delphiniums
  • Foxgloves
  • Wallflowers

Plant autumn bulbs now in well-drained soil or in pots, planting them at a depth of around 2 times the length of the bulb. Water them after planting. These autumn-flowering bulbs are ready for planting in July:

  • Nerines
  • Colchicums
  • Cyclamen hederifolium
  • Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’

What flowers to prune in July

Cut back faded perennials once they’ve finished flowering to keep the garden looking tidy. They will put on fresh growth and often a second flush of flowers in late summer. Perennials to cut back in July include:

  • Hardy geraniums
  • Delphiniums
  • Lupins

Flower maintenance in July

  • Deadhead perennials regularly to encourage them to keep producing flowers.
  • Cut sweet pea flowers for the house and to stop the plants setting seed.
  • Lift overgrown clumps of bearded irises and divide them to rejuvenate the plants.
  • Spray perennial weeds like ground elder and bindweed with a glyphosate-based weedkiller now, as the plants have plenty of leaves to absorb the weedkiller. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using weedkiller, and protect surrounding plants before spraying.
Things to do this month
Open greenhouse doors and vents on hot days.
Water plants regularly during dry periods, watering in the mornings or evenings to reduce water loss through evaporation.
Water rhododendrons and camellias regularly in dry spells, as they are developing the buds for next year’s flowers now.
Keep ponds clear of weeds and topped up.
Keep feeding wild birds with suitable bird food as they rely on us for food all year.
Wild birds may be short of natural water supplies, so keep bird baths topped up.
Add waterlilies and floating aquatic plants to help provide shade and keep water cooler.
Only give your fish enough food that they can finish within a few minutes and remove any uneaten food.
Prune wisteria, cutting back the long whippy shoots to about 5 leaves from the main branches.
Deadhead repeat-flowering roses to keep the flowers coming.
Treat paths and drives with a path weedkiller to kill existing weeds and prevent new ones appearing.
If you are going away on holiday for a short period, water your houseplants well before you go and move them into a cool location away from bright sunlight to stop them drying out.
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