July is the time for Fuchsia Colour in the garden, Fuchsia planted in hanging baskets and patio planters early in the spring are beginning to flower and add welcome colour to the garden. Fuchsia starts flowering in early July and will remain in flower right up until the hard frosts in early October. Because they flower on new growth regular feeding with one liquid fertiliser will enhance the blooms and help to encourage lots of flowers all summer long.
Many of the Wild Fuchsia’s including Fuchsia Magellanica were hammered back during the cold winter weather but in many cases new growth is appearing from the base and where this new growth is present you should cut back the dead and damaged stems to the strong new growth.
Feeding with the granular Super grow fertiliser will encourage the plants to grow strongly over the next two months.
For colour in baskets and containers look for the double flowering varieties which produce larger and more colourful blooms.
Remember now is a great time to plant both the hardy and double flowering Fuchsias in your garden for some instant summer colour.
Jobs in the garden this week.
- New Potatoes for Christmas, yes it possible, In mid July the Christmas seed potatoes will be available for planting into raised beds or Potato pots for a crop of new potatoes for Christmas. Simply Pot up five or six of these special tubers in Super grow compost in a potato bag and place in a greenhouse or tunnel to grow on for great tasting early potatoes this December. The new Christmas potato tubers will be ready to plant in a couple of weeks.
- Protect existing potato crops from potato blight by treating your plants to a spray of Promoxamil blight treatment. Promoxamil is a systemic blight treatment suitable for both potatoes and tomatoes and protects against blight by working from within the plant. Apply a treatment of promoxamil every two to three weeks.
- July is the time to thin Apple and Pear clusters on your fruit trees. Select the smallest fruit lets and remove leaving about three strong fruit lets to develop. This helps to ensure the remaining fruits form to full size tasty fruits. Remember to feed all fruiting plants now with Vitax Q4 for excellent fruit this summer.
- Plant summer flowering roses now for some instant colour, Roses have just come into flower and will reward you with lots of colour and scent until early Autumn. Many varieties are suitable for planting both into flower borders and also in patio planters.
- Cut back Lupins and Delphiniums blooms once the flowers are faded, cut back the stems to new growth at the base. Plant a selection of late summer flowering Perennials including Chrysanthemums, Penstemons, Arum lilies and michaelmas daises for colour to early winter
- Plant a selection of salad and vegetable plants now to help provide plenty of fresh greens from August until early winter. Cabbage, cauliflower, Sprouts, kale and lettuce can still be planted.
- Trailing petunias are one of the best summer flowering basket and patio plants you can plant this summer. Hot pink and Barney purple are two of the best varieties and will flower from now until early winter. They are ideal for creating a strong vivid display of colour. Take my advice and plant 3 trailing petunias in your baskets or window boxes for a stunning show of colour.
- Its time to split summer flowering Iris, Simply dig up the clump, split the existing clump of Iris with a sharp spade and replant into new locations in your garden.
- Potash is important for all fruiting plants – Apply a dressing of Sulphate of potash to all fruiting plantings now, simply apply a handful of potash to the soil around the fruiting plants. Potash is beneficial to apples, pears, Plum, cherries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.
- July is the time to propagate your own plants from cuttings and seed, Geraniums, Hydrangeas, sedums and fuchsia can be propagated now from stem cuttings taken from this year’s young growth, simply dip into rooting powder and place in a gritty compost.
- July is an excellent month to plant flowering and foliage climbers; I recommend summer flowering clematis, scented honeysuckle, flowering hydrangeas and the lovely free flowering wisteria. Remember to add organic compost to the planting hole when planting.
Join us for Sunday carvery lunch at the bay leaf restaurant, families welcome. Afterwards take a stroll through the Edinburgh woollen mills centre at Horkans lifestyle & Garden centre – we open 7 days – every Sunday from 12 to 6pm.
