Cool’s advice for July

“Roses have thorns only for those who want to pick them”
(Shams Tabrizi, Tabriz, Persia (modern-day Iran)

July is one of the most pleasant months of the year. Roses are at the peak of their beauty, filling the air with their fragrance, while fruits and vegetables are reaching peak ripeness. Drought-resisting flowers and heat-loving vegetables or fruits thrive under their preferred weather. However, the effects of climate change are becoming harder to ignore. Drought conditions are setting in, as no significant rainfall is expected for weeks. Here are our top gardening jobs for July.

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What to harvest now

🌾🧑‍🌾Now can be harvested: all kinds of salads (lettuce, rocket…), spinach, swiss chard, but also mint, strawberry, thyme, rosemary, sage, zaatar, basil, fennel as well as green onions, radish, peas, fava beans. Enjoy melon and watermelon 🍉

💐 Flowers cuttings: last call for roses; enjoy the perfume of sweet peas; sunflowers are following the sun 🌻and carnations will be back in September

What to sow or plant now

🌱🧑‍🌾 Continue to successively plant (every other week) radish, onions, garlic and shallots in order to extend the harvesting periods

🌱🧑‍🌾 Get prepared for winter now by sowing winter seasons vegetables: onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, celeri, leeks,

🌱🧑‍🌾With climate changes and rising temperatures everywhere, consider planting resilient flowers, drought-tolerant plants and heat-loving vegetables and fruits: okra, eggplant (Napoli, Syrian stuffing), peppers (bell, cayenne), tomatoes (San Marzo, Maja), watermelon, melon Spanish Cavaillon, Cucumbers, Spinach, Fava Beans. Try out our drought-tolerant flowers

🌱🧑‍🌾 For more information of what and when to sow indoors or outdoors, check our Seeds and Seasons Calendar for help

To-do list

✔️ Here are some tips to help you direct the water where it is most needed (from June advice)

✔️ Watch out for aphids on young leaves, and remove by hand or spray with a soap-based solution before they cause any damage

✔️ Fertilize heat loving vegetables (tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, eggplant) 🎥 🌱 Check my video here

✔️ Provide shade to leafy greens, radishes, beets and all cold season’s plants either using taller plants or with fabric and shading solutions – especially in the afternoons.

✔️Time for summer pruning fruits trees: thinning of shoots, removal of waterspouts, suckers…

✔️ Protect emerging seedlings from heat with shading solutions (cloth, recycled PET, jute fabric…)

Sustainability actions

🐝 Birds and beneficial insects may get thirsty. You might think of installing a birdbath or water bowl

🐝 Make a list of the drought-tolerant plants you might consider planting next year

🐝 Remember the vast majority of insects are good and biodiversity is key

⛲️ Check our waterwise advice on the June advice page

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