How to Vegetable Garden in July

How to vegetable garden in July is not only work but harvesting the delicious fresh vegetables that you have worked so hard to grow.

Your hard work is starting to pay dividends and there is still more to look forward to eating.

However the work in the vegetable garden does not stop and there are plenty of jobs still to do.

The vegetable garden or any form of gardening should not be all work. Take time to sit and admire your achievements, you deserve it!

Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes still need feeding but be careful not to overfeed with high potash feed. This is very tempting and easy to do but you may do more harm than good by locking up other essential minerals in the soil or compost.

For those growing tomatoes using the cordon method (which entails taking out or pinching out the side shoots) it will be time to stop them by removing the main shoot.

Look for the leaf that is above the fourth truss and cut out the top growth. This will give you a better chance of having fruits ripen by the end of the season.

One essential tip is to maintain a good watering regime.  Once the top is removed and there is a burst of energy and nutrients to the rest of the plant there is a good chance of the fruits fruits splitting.

Bush grown tomatoes can be left to develop unless they are outgrowing their allotted space.

Growing Runner Beans and French Beans

There may be time for another sowing of Runner Beans and French Beans if you are gardening in a warm geographical area.

Keep up a good watering regime as this will help the seed pods to set.

Stop (take out the growing shoot) climbing beans once they reach the top of their supports  which will  help to maximise the crop.

Pick your beans as they mature.

The problem with the prolific runner beans is that become tough and stringy later in the summer if not harvested before they get too long.

Naturally they do always seem to crop heaviest when you are away on holiday so see if you can enlist a family member, friend or kind neighbour to do the picking for you. They have some as a reward and the rest go in the freezer

The Herb Garden In July

With herbs it is best to harvest regularly. This not only keeps young shoots coming throughout the summer but also keeps the herb plants tidy.

Any excess herbs can be dried to use throughout the year.

Courgettes

Keep watering your cougettes and keep a close eye as they mature.

One day they are courgettes to include in your ratatouille but turn your back and you may have to look for marrow recipes.

Caring for Cauliflowers

In hot summers it is best to shade cauliflowers which will prevent the curds scorching in the bright sun.

Growing Celery

Some varieties of celery are self blanching but if the cultivar that you are growing is not it needs to be earthed up.

The stems should be protected with a collar of paper between the stems and the soil.

Leeks

Continue to plant out leeks and look forward to delicious winter meals.

Brassicas

Brassicas are great vegetables to grow for winter consumption.

Continue to plant out Brassicas to ensure a good winter supply.

Vegetables to Harvest in July

As already mentioned there should be an abundance of vegetables to harvest from the vegetable garden in July.

Vegetables ready to pick now include:

• Spinach
• Peas
• Beets
• Carrots
• Variety of Salads
• Potatoes
• Globe Artichokes
• Shallots
• Spring planted Garlic
• Greenhouse grown Tomatoes
• Greenhouse grown Cucumbers
• Over wintered Onions

Spring Cabbage

Sow Spring Cabbage now, something to look forward to!

Carrots

Whilst eating young tender, tasty carrots remember to sow a late variety of carrot seed to get another crop before the season end.

Carrot flies are still on the wing so take care when thinning or pulling a matured crop close to your later sown bed.

Turnips

July is the time to sow your first or second crop of turnips.

Other Vegetables to Sow in July:

• Oriental Vegetables
• Lamb’s Lettuce
• Chicory
• Fennel

Blanch Endive

Blanching will result in endive that is sweeter and more tender.

A good method to blanch endive is by covering with an up-turned pot with the drainage holes blocked and filled with straw to exclude the light.

General Vegetable Garden Maintenance

To avoid diseases and bolting make sure all vegetables get a regular, consistent supply of water.

In dry weather continue to hoe off weeds and leave on the surface of the soil to shrivel and then rake off.

See also:

How to Vegetable garden in June

How to Vegetable garden in August

Related Blogs

• Growing Vegetables And Herbs In A Front Garden? | b2b b2c infomations
• vegetable-garden tuneup: make room for more — A Way to Garden

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