Gardening Tips for July

• BBQs taste better with a side salad, especially if it’s one you’ve grown in your own garden! With Wimbledon in full swing there’s never been a better time to grow your own strawberries. Find 3 for £5 on one of our 9cm varieties, available in-store.
• Enjoy your strawberries outside in the garden by themselves, with cream or make your very own strawberry tart!
• Your vegetable crops such as tomato, pepper and cucumbers still need regular feeding with a high potash tomato fertiliser – shop Dobbies essentials Tomato Feed for just £3.99. For more traditional cordon tomato plants pinch out their side-shoots so that they can concentrate their growing energy into trusses of fruit. For bush and trailing varieties no pinching out is needed!
• If you want to add some homegrown crops to your summer salads late sowings of beetroot, radishes, lettuce, and salad crops grow quickly in the warm soil. Stone fruit trees such as cherry and plum can be pruned this month – these type of fruit trees are susceptible to fungal diseases through open wounds if they are pruned in winter, so pruning during the summer months helps to reduce the risk of infection.

Inject some colour into your beds and borders for summer. Our two Plants of the Month, Dahlias and Fuchsias, are great options to discover as well as vibrant sunflowers that are sure to brighten up your garden. For a lower maintenance option our hanging baskets come pre-planted meaning all you have to do is decide where to place them – shop our wide selection in-store from £7.99.

• There are various ways that you can address pests in the garden. For a more natural method try barrier granules against slugs and snails, copper tape or for resistance against a wide range of pests companion planting.
• Companion planting is an organic method of planting where a strongly scented herb is planted next to your fruit or vegetables. The scent of the herb confuses the pest whilst beneficially attracting insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which prey on aphids.

• Don’t worry about going somewhere tropical on holiday this summer when you could recreate the look in your home with our selection of houseplants! With added bonuses of being easy to care for and proving air purifying benefits these houseplants are the perfect fit for that tropical atmosphere.
• The braided Pachira aqautica is a real showstopper, as is the Calathea Insignis which improved the humidity in your home as well as having a unique feature where its leaves close in the evening and unfold again in the daylight. The popular Monstera deliciosa is another great houseplant for that tropical look, and finally the Chamaedorea elegans, which is an elegant evergreen palm, perfect for shadier rooms.

Plastic Free July starts this month and there’s lots of easy changes you can make around the garden to help reduce your plastic usage. Swap plastic pots for fibre root pots, they’re ideal for growing fruit and vegetables and can be planted directly into soil. For another simple but effective alternative, switch your plastic twine to a natural one.