July is the time to plant and prune. New shrubs and fruit trees can go in the ground, roses can be pruned and deciduous trees can be cut and shaped.
In the Veggie Patch
- Add compost to veggie beds and harvest winter greens - it's also a great time to prepare the potato patch for planting.
- Prepare the potato patch - dig in lots of compost and sheep pellets so the earth is perfect when you've sprouted the seed potatoes. If you're not growing organically you can also add potato food, which is a specifically blended potato fertiliser
- Renovate the raised beds. Get them ready for spring growing by adding fresh Garden Mix or digging through organic compost. Time to fix any leaks or drippers in your irrigation systems
- Sharpen secateurs and loppers to get the cleanest cuts when pruning and shaping deciduous trees and shrubs
- Spray pip and stone fruit trees with copper and oil mixed together
- Harvest a winter salad: baby leaves of kale, beetroot, spinach and silver beet make colourful, yummy winter dishes
Lawns
- Control moss in the lawn by spraying with Yates' Surrender
- Spread gypsum over boggy areas of the lawn to break up clay and aid drainage
The rest of the Garden
- Forward planning - a variety of deciduous shrubs such as scented viburnum and philadelphus, the bush-like star magnolia and bright Mollis azaleas can be planted now
- Rose pruning can begin this month - for newbies at this, local garden centres often hold rose-pruning demonstrations - or there's Youtube.
- Lift and divide favourite perennials now - free plants are often under your nose
- Plant new season's fruit and ornamental trees - there's a variety of great fruit trees being bred for small urban gardens - just check with your local garden centres. Stake them to two thirds of their height to keep the root area steady.