To Do List - July

• Fruit will soon start to drop off trees, but don’t just leave them there. Often, an excess of oranges, tangerines, peaches and figs rotting under the tree, can lead to a whole range of problems, so best clear them away.
• Trees will appreciate deep watering in the (hopefully) soon to be hot summer, so dig a well around their base and flood its basin.
• Give iron to any palm trees whose foliage is looking yellow, especially if they are growing in calciferous soils.This will give them a healthy boost almost immediately.
• Don’t forget to keep dead-heading your flowers, especially geraniums, petunias and gaillardias so that they will continue to flower through the summer.
• Check your ponds and water features for algae.
• Feed roses after each blooming cycle and deadhead, and don’t forget to water them regularly.
• If you have to apply pesticide, make sure the plant is very well watered first. If you apply it while it’s dry and the weather is hot, it’s quite likely the leaves will suffer and you could damage the plant further.
• Keep mulching bare soil areas to keep and plant roots cool.
• With the influx of summer visitors, available water resources are stretched to their maximum. This will result in a significant drop of pressure in your irrigation system. Either adjust your sprinkler jets accordingly or increase the zone time.