A gardener has revealed the jobs you must do this month to avoid your plants dying in the heat. Green-fingered Adam Kirtland, 37, shared the tasks people need to tick off their to-do list in July to maintain a luscious garden.
Adam believes it is essential to hydrate and feed your plants every few days during the hot summer temperatures to stop them from drying out. But he warns gardeners to avoid a common mistake when watering – splashing water on the leaves instead of focusing on the root, which can cause the roots to rot and die.
Adam also says that as soon as gardeners see a deadhead on their flowers, July is the optimal time to cut them back, especially from bedding plants and roses. Adam suggests pruning the dead flowers will prolong the plants’ lives, give them a second chance at blooming again, and keep them healthy during the summer.
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Adam, a full-time content creator, from Birmingham, said: “All gardening jobs must be done at certain times of the year.
“Cutting back the lavender is generally done in August, but it can be done anytime from July onwards.
“The whole point of cutting off the dead flowers is to prolong the plant’s life.
“A new gardener might not know that you have to feed your flowers, which will allow them to grow.
“You can go to the garden centre and there are many different plant foods, from tomatoes to daisies.
“You can use tomato food on any plant because it gives it all it needs.”
Adam fell in love with gardening during the first lockdown in 2020 and has never looked back.
He has become a full-time content creator with 508.9k followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Adam says his garden is “all over the place,” but he believes that the key to a good-looking backyard is to throw the rule book out the window.
Adam said: “The biggest mistake in gardening is copying everyone else’s garden and doing what everyone likes.
“It’s great to listen to other people’s advice, but what might work in their garden won’t work in yours.
“Planting in the right place is about finding the right place for your garden.
“Monty Don has learned everything himself, and I want to know that you don’t have to be a professional to have a world-class garden.”
Adam insists you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the most out of your garden.
Adam said: “Don’t spend much money on a garden, as you don’t need to. You can get some lovely flowers ranging from £3 to £4.
“Some of the best flowers I have got are from a local shop or supermarket.
“My favourite flower is foxgloves. They have a lovely shape; in the summer, they are covered in bees and look like wildflowers.
“Dahlia is excellent as well, and you can grow them there now until the first frost of winter.
“When you cut the flowers, you can put them in a vase, and they will keep growing, and you can fill your old house with them.”
List of jobs to do in July:
– Water your plants in pots – every two days
– Be sure to water around the compost, not on the plant or leaves
– Cut back the heads of dead flowers
– Cut lavender for drying