GARDEN TIPS FOR JULY

For the month of July, we are giving away a FREE bag of seed potatoes  – with every other 2 bags of potatoes you buy.   So why not try a new variety.  Just mention our WEB Special to get your FREE potatoes.

Lovely to have the frosty starts to the day.  It usually follows with sunshine which means you can get out into the garden.

Excellent idea for the month

Why not try planting garlic bulbs amongst your roses.  Not only does this keeps bugs away but it also intensifies the fragrance of your roses!

Edible Garden

• Keep planting garlic/shallots (make sure these are planted in a well drained soil) and broad beans.  Potatoes can be bought and placed in a warm dark spot to get a head start with sprouting roots
• Clean out your vegetable garden/raised gardens of old dead plants from summer (if you haven’t done it yet) e.g. tomato plants, lettuce etc.  This prevents pests and diseases re infecting spring plantings.
• Plant your strawberries now – (only $2 per plant from Evergreen Garden Centre) also plant berry fruit e.g. raspberries, gooseberries and currents.
• Best days for pruning and tying up existing raspberries and boysenberries, grapes and kiwifruit on  frosty sunny days – less disease spread, avoid damp days

Lilies

• Still time to lift and divide existing lilies/oriental bulbs

Fruit Trees

• Purchase new seasons stock – many varieties in store NOW
• Apply clean up sprays to fruit trees with copper spray to prevent pests and diseases
• Prune Apple and Pear trees (pip fruit) – Tip: Don’t prune apricots, peach or cherry trees – these need to be pruned when their leaves are on to prevent infection.
• Try double or triple graft apples/pears if space in the garden is a problem
• Disease resistant varieties means less spraying and maintenance e.g. Initial (Apple), Peasgood nunsuch (Apple)

Garden Clean up

• Pea straw/mulching – Replenish gardens with pea straw to discourage weeds – Not much point in spraying weeds this time of the year
• To eradicate moss on trees/shrubs/roses and outdoor furniture/statues etc here is a home made clean up spray as follows – ½ cup bleach to 5 litres of warm water and a dash of detergent (to help it stick).  Make sure you wash it off other plants accidentally sprayed

Trees/shrubs

• Best time for planting trees and shrubs – Check out the new seasons stocks of trees and shrubs
• Perfect time to prune deciduous trees such as Robinia Mop Tops, Gledistia, Oak trees
• Apply slow Evergreen Slow Release fertiliser to shrubs in preparation for Spring growth
• Now is a good time for transplanting/removing deciduous trees
• Make sure your Citrus/frost sensitive plants are covered with frost cloth

Roses

• Purchase new seasons stock of Bush and Standard Roses – Great selection of roses to choose from
• New roses – plant in sunny, free draining soil incorporating Evergreen Rose Fertiliser around roots.
• Continue to prune and fertilise existing roses – Encourages flowering

Flowers

• Buy winter annuals to brighten your garden e.g. violets, poppies, polyanthus
• Great time to divide perennials