Monty Don’s four tips on how to keep your favourite plants & trees returning year after year – & what needs pruning now
GARDENING expert Monty Don has revealed all the pruning jobs you need to get a handle on this month if you want healthy plants.
The gardening pro explained now is the time to look at your currants, roses, perennials, and fruit trees.
Taking to his Monty Don shared his top tips and advice for summer gardening.
Pruning is particularly crucial this time of year as July is a good month to tackle early summer shrubs and trees prone to bleeding.
So grab your clippers and get to work but do take note as there are some parts of a plant you don’t want to touch if you want good regrowth.
If you're behind on June gardening jobs it’s not too late to get them done now as well.
If you’ve got apple and pear trees pruning them now won't encourage too much active regrowth like you might see in the winter months.
Cutting two to four inches of your trees without chopping off ripening fruit can really help.
Monty said: “Cutting it back now also allows light and air onto the fruit that is ripening and stops your trees from becoming too crowded with unproductive branches."
Perennials need a strict pruning routine to encourage the right regrowth and flowering.
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The plant should be weeded and cut right to the soil, like most plants they need adequate water and light this season.
For this reason make sure they are adequately spaced.
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Monty has previously explained the importance of identifying whether a rose is a rambler or a climber.
Ramblers tend to be more active and will have a bunch of small flowers that never reflower.
Remove any damaged parts of the plant and old shoots, but some roses can be left to turn into trees if your garden allows the space.
July is also the month for harvesting currant and gooseberries, before you do this you should prune them.
Cut back the shoots you want to keep by a third and remove new growth that is crowding near the middle of the plant.
The gardening pro said: "This will let light and air into the plant, encouraging the wood to ripen and spurs to form, which will carry next year's fruits.”
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“Blackcurrants can be pruned hard, removing up to a third of each bush immediately after harvest."
Now is also the opportune time for staking - plants that require extra support may struggle this month under harsh rains and thunderstorms.
