Read our July Gardening Tips & Landscaping Guide below for the best expert garden advice and landscaping ideas for the month ahead.
Key Gardening & Landscaping Products for July
Premium Garden Mix, Premium Compost, Organic Compost, Gypsum, Prolawn All Purpose Fertiliser, Sheep Pellets, Morganics Organic Fertiliser, Pea Straw, Aquaticus Garden Boost Liquid Fertiliser, Aquaticus Soil & Plant Conditioner, Timber Sleepers, Weed Safe Pro Weedmat & Weedmat Pins.
General Gardening Tips for July
Deal to heavy clay soils: when planting add a handful of Gypsum in the planting hole before filling with a mix of existing soil and Premium Garden Mix.
This year, the warm autumn and subsequent rain has encouraged many species of garden weeds – they’re easy to pull or dig out now. Discourage new weeds by mulching the cleared area – it'll give plants the impetus to fill the gaps when spring arrives.
It’s the beginning of pruning season. It can be lots of fun to shape the deciduous trees and shrubs when there are no leaves.
Frosty garden? On still, cold nights cover young avocado, citrus and tamarillo trees with frost cloth - available at the local garden centre.
Forward planning: a variety of deciduous shrubs such as philadelphus, the shrub-like Magnolia stellata and the bright Mollis azaleas can be planted now.
July in the Ornamental Garden
Trees & Shrubs
It’s the beginning of pruning season. First – sharpen loppers and secateurs. It can be lots of fun to limb up deciduous specimen trees and shape shrubs when there are no leaves. Premium Garden Mix or Nutra Soil should be mixed with existing soil when planting.
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 exposed trees to two-thirds of their height to keep the root area steady and protect them when spring winds start.
Taking a walk on the back of a wheelbarrow: Planted a deciduous tree or shrub in the wrong place? They are winter dormant, so this is the best time to lift and re-position them in the right spot.
Lift and divide favourite perennials now – free plants are often under your nose.
Daphne, wintersweet and boronias are just some of the wonderfully scented shrubs available now – preferably near a walkway or a doorway.
Prune deciduous fruit trees and spray with copper and oil mixed together.
Flowers
Sharpen secateurs and loppers ready for pruning roses, which can be started this month.
For newbies local garden centres often hold rose-pruning demonstrations – or there’s always Youtube.
Later this month: Begin rose pruning. After pruning, a copper and oil spray over the bushes provides early resistance to disease and disrupts any scale forming on the canes.
Ordering online – Choose lilies, gladioli and dahlias for coming summer colour.
Dahlias from last year can be lifted and divided for replanting in October.
Lilies grow well in pots – choose dwarf varieties.
Regular deadheading, plus a side dressing of dried blood around flowering polyanthus will encourage a long-flowering season.
Something different indoors? Winter flowering hellebores or polyanthus will tolerate being indoors for 6-8 weeks, then plant them out in the garden.
July in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden
Brighten the winter garden with rainbow silverbeet, giant mustard, ornamental kale and edible calendula flowers all have great colour in winter.
Harvest a winter salad: Baby leaves of kale, beetroot, spinach and silver beet mixed with a balsamic dressing make colourful, yummy winter dishes.
It’s not too late to put in garlic bulbs – break them up into separate cloves and plant at twice the depth with the pointed end facing upwards. Onion seed can be sown from now on too.
Renovate your raised garden beds to get them ready for spring growing by adding fresh Premium Garden Mix or digging through Dave’s Super Charger Pellets.
Now is a great time to fix any leaks or drippers in your irrigation systems.
Winter lettuce varieties: a mix of frilly, cos and ‘Great Lakes’ are all hardier types that cope with cold temperatures, provided they get some sun.
Brighten up winter salads by growing a range of microgreens such as kale, komatsuma, spinach, sorrel, and pea shoots.
If the weather is too wet, try growing sprouts in a jar in the kitchen to add to salads.
Prepare the potato patch – dig in lots of Premium Compost and Dave’s Super Charger Pellets so the soil is ready for when you’ve sprouted the seed potatoes.
Keep seed potatoes in dry cool areas – garage, carport, under eaves to begin sprouting. Planting is generally 6-8 weeks from now.
Make sure broad bean plants are well-staked.
Planting of kale, cold hardy lettuces such as cos and sowing of radishes and carrot seed can take place now - try our Premium Garden Mix for premium results!
The first of the summer crops need attention: Place Dave’s Super Charger Pellets and Pea Straw around strawberry plants; place a light layer of Premium Compost over asparagus and place seed potatoes in a dry area to sprout (under house eaves is good).
Spray pip and stone fruit trees with copper and oil mixed together to provide resistance to fungal infection.
July Lawn Care
Sharpen the blades of your lawnmower! There's never been a better time.
For best results to pep up winter lawns apply our Prolawn All Purpose Fertiliser - a quick-acting fertiliser ideal for a late winter boost. This fertiliser is good around the garden beds as well.
Landscape Project Ideas for July
Landscape a weed-covered bank
Gaining control of a weedy bank is one of the most satisfying achievements in your garden.
We recommend Weed Safe Pro Weedmat and Weedmat Pins. Simply cover the bank with matting and pin it in place.
Plant desirable NZ natives or other hardy plant species by cutting a hole in the matting and incorporating Garden Mix in the planting hole as you go.
Condition your soil
Condition soil by adding Premium Compost and Dave’s Super Charger Pellets.
Compost breaks down clay and enables the soil to retain moisture, building resilience ahead of hotter weather.
Sheep pellets add nitrogen and also work to improve soil texture
Make a winter bird feeder
A birdseed pudding is easy to make: take birdseed mix, melted lard and a bit of honey, shape it into a ball and place in a netting bag.
Hang it high in a tree where the birds feel safe enough to get to it.