Welcome back to our part 2 of your ultimate calendar guide to gardening.
Part TWO
July
This calendar month brings the peak of summer weather, and your growing garden will be in full bloom.
Plant winter vegetables to grow such as garlic, spinach, onions and carrots.
Harvest garden fruits such as nectarines and peaches (checking for spoiled or pest invested ones). Our Pheromone Moth Trap works wonders for protecting fruit plants such as peaches.
Ventilate hot greenhouses as much as possible to circulate fresh air around growing plants. Using an automatic greenhouse opener saves your time.
You can also add extra plant protection in your greenhouse from heat and direct sunlight with paint on shading like our white liquid shading.
When summer comes, regular watering is essential to continue the growing of your plants. You can save time and water by using a soaker hose to water greenhouse plants and garden raised beds.
August
The splendid calendar month of August is here. Welcome to summer picnics and barbecues, school holidays, and enjoying your garden in the glorious weather. Time to sit back and relax and appreciate all your hard garden work.
Remember to keep bird baths filled up, especially during droughts and warmer weather.
Apply lawn feed generously to keep your grass growing and water well to avoid scorched patches. Feed roses, harvest grown apples and pears with our handy harvesting apron. Ensure you store your fruits correctly to avoid spoiling. Eco punnets and trays are a great solution.
You can now plant new strawberry plants (remember to mulch and feed) and Christmas potatoes (easy grow pots make this job simple).
September
The official harvest season is upon us. This calendar month is all about reaping the benefits of your edible growing garden and enjoying the last of the warm weather.
Sweetcorn, onions, shallots, fruits, and main crop potatoes can all be harvested this month.
Add a cosy firepit to your garden to take the chill off any late season barbeques or garden drinks.
Time to scarify or rake garden lawn areas as leaves will begin to drop. Aerate any parts of your lawn that may become compacted due to increased rainfall this month. Plant grass seed if your garden lawn in showing signs of wear and tear, and feed to keep grass growing.
You can begin sowing and growing winter green plants such as; lettuce, salad, spinach and cress.
This calendar month is the ideal time to start a compost heap. Invest in a good quality composter. Hot compost bins require less work than standard composters.
October
The autumn is very much here. This calendar month will bring changing colour of leaves and colder days and darker evenings. Mulch borders now to lock in plant soil moisture, continue to deadhead and prune plants as needed.
Every cloud has a silver lining, now the rains are coming invest in a garden water butt to help save you water and save you money.
Now is the perfect time to plant and grow garlic, pot up growing garden herbs to bring inside and protect from frost, and harvest your fully grown squash and pumpkins.
You can also plant sweet peas in a growhouse.
Refill bird feeders to ensure your feathered friends won't go hungry and why not add an insect hotel to your garden to help out beneficial insects during the colder weather.
Frosts may make an appearance this month so make sure you are prepared with fleece protection for your garden plants still growing or try our eco alternative made from sheep’s wool for your plants.
Have a look at our garden greenhouse insulation kits to safeguard your growing greenhouse plants too.
November
Winter is fast approaching as we enter into the last calendar month of autumn. Complete any planting of bulbs you may have left.
Scarify your garden lawn as needed, grease trees to protect from crawling insects and winter moths and protect growing plants under cloches and fleece.
Begin planting fruit trees, cane and soft fruit plants. Remove any large amounts of dead leaves from ponds. Invest in pond netting and algae treatment.
Clear out your greenhouse or growhouse and gather any diseased or dead garden plants for the bonfire. It is important to check for hibernating creatures before starting garden bonfires.
Why not add a wildlife house to your garden to give garden animals a safe place to sleep. You can even watch them with special outdoor wildlife cameras.
December
The last calendar month of the year is a cold one. You may experience some snow and certainly some frosts.
Shake off snow from hedges and shrubs left growing to avoid frost damage. If you haven’t already, insulate individual growing plants and trees with fleece and fleece bags.
Harvest winter vegetable plants such as sprouts and parsnips, divide and replant rhubarb and get out your greenhouse heaters.
Insulate outdoor taps to avoid freezing pipes and draughts. Stock bird feeders to ensure they have enough to get them through winter.
Place your houseplants on a sunny windowsill to allow them to soak up as much of the reduced sunlight as possible. Using a grow lamp will give your indoor plants a boost. Some houseplants may benefit from sitting above a warm radiator for short periods of time during really cold weather.
Why not spend any cold or wet days, planning your garden and growing for next year. Buy any plant pots, tools or cages you may need.
Happy gardening in 2023!