JULY in the garden

by Kathy Finnigan

In the veggie garden

PLANT: Asparagus crowns, seedlings of bulb onions and golden shallots, salad and spring onion as small seedlings, rhubarb divisions.

Soil is usually too cold for seed germination at this time of the year, but seedlings can be started indoors or in a glasshouse and planted out when 4-6 weeks old.

Maintenance: Adjust your irrigation for current weather conditions, especially cold nights. Best to irrigate and water in the morning.

As your current crops finish, remove them, then weed beds, apply suitable soil improvers (lime, manures, compost etc) and mulch so that your beds are ready for spring plantings.

Broad beans are still worth putting in though they will need extra liquid feeds to keep them growing to a decent size so they will crop well in spring. 

The ground is too cold for germinating most seeds now, so I am sowing mixed lettuce, coriander, rocket, and English spinach in pots. I then put them in a paved, north facing area that is going to be warmer than the vegetable garden. This way I can be picking leafy greens all winter.

Order and plant asparagus crowns. They don’t like being disturbed so make sure you put them in a spot where they can grow happily for the next 20 years. Dig a deep trench and fill it with well-rotted manures (such a s sheep and cow) and compost. Let it settle in before planting your crowns.

---

In the orchard

Bare rooted fruit trees will be in the nurseries this month so have a look around the garden to see if you have space for one or more new trees.  Same for berries such as raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries and the different coloured currents.

Time for preventative fungicide spraying in the orchard. Below is an extract from Australia organic gardening .

“July is also the best time to time for an application of an “over wintering” fungicide spray. Applied while the tree is dormant, an organic fungicide will help prevent the incidence of fungal disease in the warmer months and is particularly useful in controlling problems such as peach leaf curl, apple scab and brown rot. For organic gardeners, the options are limited to three major possibilities. There are Potassium Bicarbonate based sprays, these are generally certified organic, but mostly used to prevent powdery mildew during summer. Copper Hydroxide (not to be confused with Copper Oxychloride, which is toxic) is allowable under organic standards and highly effective. But being a heavy metal, copper can accumulate in the soil where it will prove toxic to earthworms and beneficial fungi. This leaves lime sulphur as the prime over wintering spray for most deciduous fruit trees. It's also an allowable organic input and effective at controlling fungal disease, but is less toxic to worms. The only caveat is that lime sulphur shouldn't be used on evergreen plants, because it may burn the foliage, or apricots, which dislike sulphur. Applying lime sulphur is simple. Choose a still, sunny day, don some protective gear (goggles, gloves and a mask is usually sufficient), and mix the spray according the manufacturers directions. Apply to the whole tree, evenly wetting all branches and ensuring you get the spray into fissures in the bark. Some people spray the ground beneath the tree to prevent fungal spores from splashing back up, but a better idea is to clean up infected leaves and fruit and apply a generous layer of mulch. After all, it's nigh on impossible to overdo the mulch and all trees will benefit from a layer of sugarcane, lucerne, or my favourite for established trees, cheap but cheerful woodchip.”

Taken from organic gardener magazine blog

By: Justin Russell

---

Pruning

Photo: Kathy Finnigan

It is pruning time so get out your secateurs, loppers and pruning saws. Sharpen and oil them ready for all your winter pruning jobs.

Remember:

Winter pruning encourages new growth which is great for fruit trees like peaches and apricots that flower on last season’s new wood. Stone fruits are best pruned in winter. 

Summer pruning discourages new growth and encourages fruiting spurs on pome fruits such as apples and pears, so these are best pruned in summer (January).

If you are not confidant in pruning fruit trees, google it – There are plenty of u tube videos and articles on the subject that will give a good idea of what to do.

Happy productive gardening.

Kathy