The main type of garden work in July is watering. The hot month requires regular watering of the soil so that the plants can grow well. But July is not the end of the garden's troubles.

OBOZREVATEL publishes a vegetable garden calendar for July 2023. It tips good days for different types of work on the ground and with plants.

Rules for watering in July

So that the water doesn't evaporate quickly from the soil and doesn't scorch the leaves, water early in the morning when the sun is still low or as late as dusk. That way, more moisture can get into the soil and the plants can get their hands on it.

It is also a good idea to cover the soil with mulch. Mulch particles will simultaneously slow water evaporation and inhibit the development of weeds. Bark or sawdust will do the job well and look aesthetically pleasing while compost, peat or humus, in addition to mulching, will provide a source of nutrients. Straw, freshly cut or dried grass and even chopped egg shells are also suitable. The choice of material is therefore not difficult.

What garden work is best for July

Vegetables - quickly ripening varieties and "second wave" varieties - can still be sown in high summer. Some herbs may also be sown at this time.

It's also a good time to work on seedbeds which have already been planted with early crops. This is also a good time to improve the layout of the plot and build greenhouses for the coming season.

It's important not to neglect the control of weeds, pests and diseases in July. Various fruits are beginning to ripen in the garden and care must be taken to protect them from birds feeding on them.

A gardener's lunar calendar for July 2023

There will be several days in July that are good for any work on the ground and near the plants. These are the following numbers: 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 24-28, 31.

In the meantime you can have a day off on one of these days, because they are considered unfavourable: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 16, 17, 29, 30.

The following days are good for taking care of different kinds of crops:

Root crops

• Potatoes - 4, 7, 8
• Radishes - 4, 18, 24-28, 31
• Carrots, beetroot, parsnips - 7, 8
• Radish, turnips - 7, 8, 24-28, 31

Onions

• Green onions, chives - 4, 7-11, 24, 25, 31
• Leeks, Egyptian, Rocambole and others - 4, 9-13, 31

Vegetables for table and storage

• Tomatoes, physalis - 18, 26-28, 31
• Sweet pepper, hot pepper - 24-28
• Cucumbers - 18, 24-28
• Broccoli, cauliflower - 4, 12, 13, 24, 25, 31
• Early cabbage - 24, 25, 31
• Kale, pok choy and other leafy cabbage - 7-11, 24, 25
• Stem celery - 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 31
• Courgettes, pâtissons, pumpkins - 18, 24, 25
• Beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas - 24, 25
• Sunflowers - 19, 20, 24, 25
• Mycelium - 1, 2, 18-31

Greens and herbs

• Leaf salad - 7-11, 24, 25
• Spinach - 9-11, 18, 24, 25
• Rucola, watercress, mustard leaves - 7-11, 18, 26-28

• Chard and other leafy vegetables - 7-13
• Dill and fennel - 12, 13, 31
• Parsley, coriander and celery on leaves - 7-11, 24, 25
• Basil, oregano, rosemary, other herbs - 21-23, 26-28
• Medicinal and tea crops - 19-23, 26-28
• Microgreens - 4, 7-11

Berry orchard

• Strawberries and strawberries - 14, 15
• Pear, quince - 4, 24, 25, 31
• Walnut, hazelnut - 12-15, 24, 25
• Guelder rose, rose hips, rowanberries, buckthorn - 1, 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 29, 30
• Hawthorn - 9-11, 18-20, 26-28
• Currant - 4-8, 18-20, 26-28
• Raspberries - 14, 15, 18, 26-28
• Gooseberries and other berries - 4, 18, 26-28, 31
• Grapes - 1, 2, 24-30

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told how to banish rodents, which harm plants, from your garden in summer.

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