This is the JULY installment of HortWeek's month-by-month guide to essential maintenance and management tasks for parks, gardens and grounds maintenance staff.
Office
- Order spring-flowering bulbs
- Update pesticide records
- Update sowing records
- Organise holiday cover as needed
- Check all staff have wet-weather gear and sun block
General
- Control weeds, pests and diseases
- Spot treat perennial weeds
- Water as needed
- Top up mulches
Trees, shrubs and hedges
- Remove basal growth from trees
- Deadhead and prune early summer flowering shrubs
- Deadhead roses and feed to boost growth
- Take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs
- Take conifer cuttings
- Clip conifer hedges
Beds and borders
- Deadhead faded flowers
- Transplant biennial seedlings
- Fill any gaps with bedding plants
- Cut lavender for drying
- Divide bearded and rhizomatous irises
- Collect seed from perennials
- Apply general fertiliser to late-flowering subjects such as chrysanthemums
Wall plants
- Cut back wisteria
Bulbs
- Plant autumn-flowering bulbs
- Order spring-flowering bulbs
Containers
- Feed and water
Greenhouses and conservatories
- Shade, damp down and water regularly
- Start taking fuchsia and regal pelargonium cuttings
- Prick out seedlings of calceolaris and browallia and other winter-flowering pot plants
Water features
- Inspect regularly for algae bloom and treat accordingly
- Top up as necessary
*Jobs should only be undertaken when ground and weather conditions are suitable and will vary according to location and may vary significantly from year to year. And remember that while the year nicely divides into 12 months, activities often overlap.
