July is known to be the turn of the season, making it a crucial time in the garden. This month is a good time to prune your roses and fruit trees and sow colour for spring. Find out what else is on your garden task list in this gardening guide:
Spotlight on: Pruning It may be raining and cold outside, but July is the perfect time to do some pruning! Pruning is an important activity in the garden because:
It encourages new plant growth. By removing dead, diseased or long and spindly branches, and trimming dense plant growth, you're allowing more light to penetrate all parts of the plant.
It allows for increased levels of oxygen to circulate around your plants and new, stronger shoots to sprout. This will boost the immune system of your plants and trees, so they'll suffer from fewer fungal diseases and fewer pesky insects can hide away from you.
It's a great way to shape plants, trees and hedges, and keep your garden looking neat and tidy, as well as clearing your view of overgrown trees and hedges.
Prune deciduous fruit trees such as peach, plum and apricot. They lose their leaves in winter, so it's easier to see which branches are diseased, old or weak.
Pruning roses is important to encourage bigger, better blooms and should be done between mid-July and the first week of August. Prune hybrid roses, tea roses and miniature roses now, but wait to prune rambling roses until after they've flowered.
Hydrangeas require bi-annual pruning, one in summer and one now, in winter.
Pinch out the growing tips of sweet peas to encourage strong, bushy growth.
Encourage new growth for your ferns by cutting off old fronds.
Prune summer and autumn flowering climbers and shrubs such as cassia, clematis, golden shower, barleria and ribbon bush.
