Monty Don has shared a simple July gardening tip to maintain the 'midsummer bounty' and prevent your garden from becoming a 'disaster zone'. The renowned gardening expert warns that the additional heat and summer storms can trigger a burst of growth, causing plants to become overgrown and collapse under their own weight.
Why July Gardening Requires Extra Support
July's warm weather brings a fresh set of gardening tasks. As blazing sunshine and sporadic storms encourage plants to sprout and spread, borders can quickly appear unruly. According to Monty Don, this is the time to intervene before nature takes things further. Plants can transform a picturesque scene into a 'disaster zone' almost overnight.
Monty Don's Recommendation: Brushwood and Metal Supports
To tackle the mayhem, Monty Don recommends having brushwood to hand, such as hazel pea sticks or metal supports, ready to position around your borders. This enables plants to grow upright while providing the extra support and stability they need. These supports act as a practical solution to bring unruly borders back to a structured form without sacrificing 'all the charm of midsummer bounty', the expert notes. With careful positioning, beds should appear completely natural.
Plants That Benefit Most from Staking
This approach is particularly relevant for taller-growing varieties such as Ammi majus, sunflowers, cleome, Cosmos Sensation, tithonias, and Leonotis. Monty Don clarifies on his blog: 'As these are planted individually it is hard to support them in the gently bolstering fashion that suits a large herbaceous perennial, but they can be staked to half their height and tied with soft twine so that they can still move gently but not collapse completely.' Staking remains a vital technique throughout the year, especially for top-heavy specimens like tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers. It prevents stems from breaking, keeps produce away from moist ground, and maximises sunlight exposure.
Materials and Techniques for Staking
Typical materials for staking include bamboo canes, biodegradable fabric ties, or metal cages. It is crucial to avoid damaging the plant's stem and to ensure sufficient space for development.
Additional July Gardening Tips from Monty Don
Another handy recommendation high on Monty Don's agenda for July involves paying attention to raspberries, as they 'are at their best in July'. This is the period for harvesting summer-fruiting varieties, which the horticulturalist confesses take priority over even the finest strawberries. He writes: 'Summer-fruiting raspberries carry their fruit on the canes that grew the previous summer - so all the fresh growth made in the current year will crop next July, whereas autumn-fruiting types such as 'Autumn Bliss' produce their fruit on the new season's growth.' July's crop of raspberries possesses a particular freshness that renders them especially delicious, and he anticipates gathering them and enjoying a bowlful with cream during his summer evenings.
