Tips for July 2023

Summer prune Wisteria this month or next, cutting back long whippy shoots to five or six buds from a main stem.

Harvest garlic, shallots and onions when the foliage has turned yellow. Place them in a dry, sunny spot to allow them to ripen.

Harvest summer fruiting raspberries and as they have fruited cut out fruited canes to the ground. Thin and tie in new ones to support wires spacing the stems about 10cm apart.

Now is an ideal time to plant autumn flowering bulbs, such as Colchicum, Sternbergia and Nerine.

Established stone fruit such as plum, cherry and damson are best pruned immediately after harvest. Cuts will heal rapidly in the warm weather and the risk of infection by the silver leaf fungus is reduced.

Many indoor plants benefit by being put outdoors for a few weeks away from the extreme temperatures of a conservatory in high summer.

Inspect tomatoes for signs of fruit splitting and blossom end rot. If found remove damaged fruits and ensure consistent watering to limit further damage. Continue to feed tomatoes, peppers, chillies and melons with high potassium liquid feed.

To encourage more blooms on repeat flowering roses, prune off faded heads regularly. With roses that flower only once, leave them unpruned if you want colourful rose hips later.

Keep bedding plants, containers and hanging baskets well watered and feed them weekly with a high potassium liquid fertiliser for an an impressive display. Dead head the flowers where possible to maintain flowering.

Now is a good time to sow turnips, spring cabbage, fennel and autumn/winter salad crops.