July garden work
Lawns:
Order fertiliser (2:3:2) for application next month and make sure that the mower is in a good condition.
Roses:
Any newly planted roses should be pruned.
Fruit:
Give citrus trees a dressing of 2:3:2 and a good soaking. Fruit trees which are bare rooted should have any damaged roots trimmed. Plant with
the graft at ground level. Thin out fruit that could cause branches to
break. Pick up fallen fruit and destroy it.
General:
As bulbs send up their leaves, try sowing alyssum seeds between them.
Take out the first buds of annuals, so that all their energy can go into making healthy foliage.
Hemerocallis (day lilies) which were not divided last month should be tidied by removing dead foliage and cutting existing
foliage to 10 cm above ground level.
Pelargoniums should have their center buds nipped out, and old or diseased leaves removed.
Bellis perennis, the English daisy, has low rosettes of leaves, sending up short stems of daisy flowers. They will form compact clumps which should be divided and planted out as soon as possible after flowering.
Tibouchina grandiflora is winter blooming and takes the form of a slender tree with a mass of deep violet flowers with reddish centers. It cannot take heavy frost, and even where frost is light, it should be given some protection in the early stages.
Primula malacoides and Primula polyantha will be in bloom in the cooler garden. Malacoides should be left to set seed, which can be kept for sowing in autumn, or, where they grow easily, the seed heads can be shaken over the beds.
Primula polyantha clumps should be divided after flowering. Some camellias will be in bloom, and should be mulched and watered thoroughly.
Azaleas can be planted, even if they are flowering, but don’t plant them any deeper than they are at present. Water well and give them a mulch. If the soil is not acid, give them acid mulch. When they are established, give each one a handful of ammonium sulphate.
Helleborus are becoming more easily obtainable, and like well-dug soil with a little lime added, and shade or semi-shade.
Some bougainvilleas will be in full bloom this month. As soon as flowering is over, cut the flowered heads back or re-shape.