What to do this month

• Prune deciduous climbers, such as kiwifruit and wisteria. Don’t remove flower buds.
• Prune Robinia ‘Mop Tops’ to size.
• Prune deciduous fruit trees.
• Spray fruit trees and with horticultural oil and copper spray after pruning.
• Peaches and nectarines will need to be sprayed with copper spray or lime sulphur to help avoid leaf curl. This should be done towards the end of the month with a follow up spray early August.
• Spray citrus trees with horticultural oil to smother the nymphs of bronze orange bug and scale.
• Clean and sharpen your secateurs and other garden tools. This prevents the spread of disease from plant to plant.
• Plant fruit trees, deciduous trees, roses and berries.
• Fertilise Cymbidium Orchids with a high-potassium fertiliser for a longer winter display.

Vegetables

• July is a great time to clean out the veggie patch ready for spring and add cow manure and compost. One bag of cow manure for every two square metres.
• Potatoes are available. Buy them now as availability is greater than spring, but plant in late August/September. Store them in a dry cool spot until then.