Hannah’s horticulture...

July is a wonderful time in a garden.

Summer is in full flow, and you will be beginning to reap the rewards of the effort you’ve put in.

In some respects, you can relax a little and enjoy your space, and the balmy days and evenings are ideal for this. There are a few things to do to keep the space in check so it doesn’t descend into sight chaos in a month or so though!

And it’s nice to have a break with a few pottering jobs between all that relaxing and entertaining!

Watering

Whilst established shrubs and plants don’t generally need watering (unless severe drought, or plants have become stressed through another reason), pots and hanging baskets, and fruits and vegetables, need regular water to keep them performing at their best.

Certainly, pots are reliant on you for their water source rather than the groundwater. Watering thoroughly but less often is far better than little and often, as the water can penetrate the deeper soil layers and reach the roots that way. This is where mulch pays dividends, as it helps to reduce is a

If you have a question for her, email:hannah.hobbschell@ outlook.com including a picture evaporation from the surface of the soil and retain the moisture Do make sure you water any new plants; you can leave a hose on trickle for 15-30+mins on bigger plants and trees - they will love you for it.

In a drought, I do water some plants deliberately that are loved by bees, as plants when water stressed reduce their nectar production, and bees need even more energy than usual to keep their hives cool, so watering a choice few plants means they have access to food in my garden.

Water is such a precious resource, but a little bit of thought can go a long way to making the most of it without wasting.

Deadheading

Continue to deadhead those lovely summer flowers so they keep producing more and more. And give some of the more floriferous plants a top up feed to keep them happy.

Feed tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries etc.

Veg and fruit that is just coming into production all benefit from a high potassium feed now, often labelled tomato feed, or flower feed.

When looking for fertiliser, you want to look at the back for the ratio – N:P:K –nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium, and it’s the higher K number you are looking for in this instance.

You still want some of the other, as that too plays a role in fruiting and production. You will get a far better yield if you feed regularly.

Be vigilant with pests and diseases

All the lush greenery can easily lead to mildew if the air isn’t circulating round them and the plants are dry.

Try to remove any mildewaffected leaves to reduce the spores.

And on roses keep an eye for blackspot and rust and remove any affected leaves. Don’t home compost these, as you will be spreading the spores ready for next year.

I have also seen the berberis sawfly this year here, which attacks Berberis and occasionally Mahonia. It’s a non-native pest and has gradually spread to this area. It can very quickly defoliate a plant entirely unfortunately, so I keep an eye out on mine around this time now as I’ve had problems for the past few years. Most pests can generally be tolerated, and the abundance of young birds will thank you for leaving them for them to find and enjoy – we’ve been blessed with a bumper crop of sparrows and greenfinches, which are a true delight to watch feasting away!