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It's a great time of year to host barbecues and other outdoor gatherings, so make sure your garden is in tip-top shape.
For tips and advice on what gardening jobs to do this month, read our handy guide.
Cutting back and deadheading flowers
July is the month to cut back faded perennial plants to keep your borders tidy. Deadhead all bedding plants and perennials to encourage further flowering and prevent self-seeding. Also make sure you deadhead roses and sweet peas, watering the latter every day in dry, sunny weather – this ensures they will flower for longer.
Collect seed heads from weeds, such as dandelions, so they can't release their seeds and spread them throughout the garden. Also cut back old, faded growth in hanging baskets, as this will encourage new foliage and flowers, thus reviving the display. Feed your baskets well once they have been cut back.
Prune delphiniums, lupins and geraniums after the first throw of flowers to encourage new growth. Train and tie in new shoots on your climbing plants.
This is a good time to take cuttings from your best plants to over-winter indoors - this can include cuttings from border perennials and shrubs. Always keep an eye out for pests at this time of year and treat them early if you find any signs. Symptoms of infestations can include wilting leaves, black discolouration on stems and leaves, or yellowing, unhealthy-looking leaves.
When cutting back your garden, use good quality, sharp secateurs to ensure a clean cut. Store them in a convenient, easy-to-find place and in a suitable box in the house or shed to help prevent rust. Don't put them away wet or dirty.
Watering the garden
While watering the garden is particularly important in summer, when there's likely to be less rain, it's equally important not to overwater it. In general, plants that need moist conditions, or those in pots and greenhouses, need watering more than mature trees or shrubs, such as aeoniums and cordylines.
During very hot periods, plants in greenhouses can become dry very quickly, while plant pots can seem dry within just a few hours of watering them. The top priorities when watering pot plants in the garden are seedlings, young plants and cuttings.
In hot July weather, you should water them once a day. On cooler days, you can water them every couple of days. During dry spells, you should thoroughly soak them once a week, as well as their lighter daily watering.
Never overwater potted plants - too much water may cause the foliage to die, the roots to go rotten and an increase in mould or pests. This will severely compromise the plant's health and could lead to it rotting away at the base.
When it comes to the lawn, you normally don't need to water it very often, even in July, as it usually gets all the water it needs from the soil. The exception is newly seeded or turfed lawns, as they need to be kept moist and should never be allowed to dry out.
If your lawn is mature, you can water it periodically if there has been no rain, or if it starts to go brown during a particularly dry spell. Water it lightly with a "shower" attachment on your hosepipe. Don't overwater it until the soil beneath is muddy or there is water standing on top. In prolonged dry weather, don't mow the grass as short to avoid putting it under extra stress.
Pond maintenance
Keep your garden pond free from blanket weed, algae and debris in July and keep it topped up. Overgrown plants and dirty water are unhealthy for fish and other wildlife. Regular pond maintenance and occasional cleaning are required.
Floating weeds and debris can cover the pond's surface quickly if left unchecked. Scoop them out by twirling them round a stick or you could use a net. However, don't throw them straight in your green bin. Leave them on the side of the pond overnight, so that any creatures such as small frogs, newts and other larger pond life can return safely to the water. Before throwing the weeds away, rinse them in a bucket of clean pond water to ensure any smaller creatures can escape and be safely returned to the pond.
Keep the water topped up, as it can quickly evaporate in summer. If you're using tap water, add hot boiled water to cold water in a bucket to ensure it's warm before pouring it in. Otherwise, the shock of icy cold water could harm some of the pond creatures, especially fish.
A full water change, especially in a medium to large pond, can be a daunting task, especially with fish in the pond. Keeping on top of weed and algae clearance regularly can help avoid the necessity to go to these lengths.
What can be harvested in July?
If you grow fruits and vegetables, July can be a good month to harvest some of your crops. The regular harvesting of some plants can encourage more fruit to grow, so don't leave trees until the branches are completely laden down with fruit.
The ideal vegetables to harvest in July include courgettes, shallots and runner beans. It's also a great time to pick blueberries and cherries.
Keep everything in hygienic plastic containers, not only to keep it fresh, but also to stop flies getting in.
Keep berries in boxes in the fridge in hot July weather to keep them fresh for longer, whether you're eating them raw, or making them into a pie or jam.
Once you've finished your July gardening jobs, sit back and make a note of the work you've done at your garden's peak. Jot down what has worked and what hasn't – this will serve as a guideline for next year.