Welcome to the July Garden Notes!
We’re past the shortest day of the year and heading toward spring at what seems like a gallop! While the nights and the mornings have been fairly cold, even frosty, we are getting some pleasant mild days so finding some time to get outdoors and polish off a few jobs on the to-do list shouldn’t be too hard.
Top Tips
One of the things you can do to help your garden cope in winter is to regularly apply a seaweed-based product as a foliar spray. These products not only help plants in hot weather, but they really help against stress produced by very cold conditions too however don’t forget to treat indoor plants too.
Another important task is trying to keep on top of weeds around the garden as they compete with your plants for moisture and food. Make sure to mulch, spray or weed by hand and throw them in the compost bin.
Rose Time
July is a great month to tackle the pruning of deciduous trees and roses. Rose pruning is really quite simple and roses are very forgiving so don’t be afraid to have a go. If you aren’t sure of how much to prune you can apply what I call the 50/50 rule. For rose bushes, this means remove half the stems and reduce the remainder by half, not hard at all. As for all pruning, clean and sharp tools will make the job much simpler and produce a better result. You will need a good pair of secateurs for the majority of the pruning, plus loppers or a pruning saw for thicker stems. Thick leather gloves wouldn’t go astray as well to prevent being attacked by thorns! A spray with Lime Sulphur after you’ve finished pruning will help to control many pests and diseases that overwinter in the bark and rake up fallen leaves as this will help with disease control.
Capital Pear Trees
Capital Pear trees are a common sight everywhere now, councils often use them as street trees, plus they are commonly used for screening in home gardens. There is now another addition to the family, the Miniature Capital Pear. This form has a growth habit of approximately 5m x 3m, pretty much half the size of the normal tree. With the same benefits of its larger cousin; hardiness, flower, and autumn colour, the smaller size makes this a wonderful choice for the smaller gardens that many of us now have. We have limited stock of these in stores this month so check them out when you’re in next.
Indoor Plants
Also in the catalogue and in-store is a selection of some of the hardiest, easy to grow indoor plants. Peace Lilies have to be just about the perfect indoor plant, they tolerate most light situations and tell you when they need a drink! We also have Devils Ivy, Dracaena, Umbrella Plants, and Xanadu Philodendron which are also great and easy to look after plants. Not only will these look good inside they also act as air purifiers, a double win, so even in the depths of winter when we perhaps don’t get outside much we can still enjoy an indoor garden.
Planning Ahead
Lastly, the other thing you can do at this time of the year, especially on those cold, wet days when you can’t get outside is starting to think about planning for spring. Make a cup of tea and spend some time working out what you need or want to change in your garden. Are you happy with the veggie garden? Do you need more raised garden beds? Do you want to grow more fruit trees? Or do things just need a freshen up? These are the sorts of things you can consider, and if you have put a plan down, you’ll be ready to get stuck into it when the weather improves in a month or so. Stay warm and dry and enjoy July in your garden.
Final Note
If you are unsure about anything to do with your garden both inside or out, just ask one of our qualified garden staff for help, we would be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Visit your local store now or give us a call on 1300 165 165.
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