There are lots of fun gardening jobs for July, especially as the veg patch is getting into full swing. Here are just a few you can do. So, get those gloves on and head out to the garden for some therapeutic, green exercise!
Successional growing
Quick growing crops such as radishes, rocket and lettuce can provide a regular supply if you plant a few seeds each week. Also, known as successional growing, it stops you from having too many veggies than you know what to do with. Carrots are a great one to plant too every 3-4 weeks and you can even grow them in pots, so you don’t need a huge veggie patch.
Looking after your tomatoes
Tomato plants can provide you with a lovely crop, providing you look after them. For starters, they are very hungry plants, so water and feed them little and often. They don’t grow well below temperatures of 15C, so if you are growing them outdoors, remember to check the weather forecast and cover them up on colder nights or if possible, bring them indoors. If you’re growing them in a greenhouse, remember to open the doors and windows to allow air to circulate around to stop them from overheating and to reduce the risk of pests. Pinch out any side shoots too as this encourages growth.
Deadheading
This is such a therapeutic job to do in the garden and it’s a crucial one for July. If you’re unsure what it is exactly, deadheading simply means to cut off with scissors or gardening shears any dead flowers or flowers that have gone to seed. By cutting them back you encourage further growth throughout the rest of the summer. Some flowers need to picked daily to encourage growth too, such as Sweat Peas if you’ve got a bountiful crop.
Pick and eat
One of the best ways to encourage a regular supply of food in the veg patch is to pick and eat the vegetables young. For example, the courgette plant can provide a daily supply but this requires you to pick a few courgettes when they’re small. They taste really sweet when they’re young and did you know you can eat the courgette flowers too? A classic way to cook them is simply fried in batter. Runner beans also need to be picked regularly to stop them from going stringy. If you’ve got too many beans than you can eat, you can freeze them by blanching them first.
