July Guide

July Growing Tips

What's going on in July?

As thoughts turn to summer holidays and long lazy summer evenings, your garden should be looking better than ever. Keep enjoying all of that lovely food you’ve been growing, whether by yourself or with friends and family. If you have too much of one crop, consider a food swap with a neighbour. Don’t let anything go to waste!

As the weather will be hot, you’ll need to keep the watering the garden. There’s still loads of sowing and planting to be done – in fact, in July there’s still plenty of time to sow vegetables for an Autumn harvest. Sun hat and sunscreen are advisable, and don’t forget to stay hydrated yourself!

The weather in July

Hot sultry days are frequent, and given the typical lack of wind in July, the garden can feel sticky and stifling. As we hit mid-summer temperatures, keeping your fruit and vegetables hydrated is really important. Remember only to water only when the sun has is going down in the morning or as it’s rising in the morning, to avoid scorching the leaves when they’re wet.

Although it’s one of the driest months, we still do get some rainfall in July. However, this can often come in the form of short, intense downpours. The problem with these is they tend to run straight off the ground, and don’t really add as much water to the soil as it needs.

Main things to accomplish

Aim for yet more Succession Sowing this month, but also think ahead. You can sow vegetables now for a healthy Autumn harvest. So even if you’re not in the mood right now for cosy comfort veg or winter salads, don’t neglect the chance to get ahead for later in the year.

There will be loads of Tending to do this month as you’ll be pruning fruit trees and bushes, pinching out certain plants, and removing dead leaves from others. But again, getting these jobs done now will ensure a healthy crop over the coming months.

Digging Deeper into jobs for this month

Prep

- Train new canes of blackberries, other berries
- Support heavy branches of fruit trees
Sowing & Planting

SOW OUTSIDE
Radish, Lettuce, Beetroot, Carrots, Peas, Autumn Salads (ie Rocket), Spring Cabbages
PLANT OUTSIDE
Leeks, Winter Cabbages, Winter Brassicas sown in May (Brussel Sprouts, Winter Cabbage, Kale, Sprouting Broccoli)
Tending

- Feed crops under cover with organic feed
- Water vegetables regularly (evening/ night)
- Protect fruit from wasps, Apples from aphids
- Check for Potato and Tomato Blight
- Earth Up Celery
- Pinch out Tomato plants, Climbing Beans
- Prune/ Thin out Apples, Pears
- Remove old leaves from Tomatoes, Strawberries
Harvesting

- Harvest all vegetables when young
- Harvest Carrots, Aubergines, Beans, Cucumbers, Peas, Peppers, Courgettes, Shallots, Onions, Garlic
- Harvest Summer-fruiting Raspberries
- Forage Chanterelle Mushrooms, Wild Strawberries
- Dry out Herbs
- Freeze surplus food
Eating

- The Grow Up Picnic Salad Jars
- Make Lemony Radish and Fennel Salad

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