insideKENT Magazine Issue 64 - July 2017 | Page 155

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN NEEDS THIS MONTH:
JULY
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
1. Care for houseplants while on holiday
2. Water tubs and new plants if dry, but be
water-wise
3. Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering
perennials, to ensure continuous flowering
4. Pick courgettes before they become marrows
5. Check clematis for signs of clematis wilt
PICK COURGETTES BEFORE THEY
BECOME MARROWS
For indoor-raised seedlings, plant outside
on top of your planting pocket in early June,
hardening off (acclimatising) before doing
so. You can also grow marrows in growbags
or containers (at least 45cm/18in wide). Plant
one or two per growbag, or one per
container.
9. Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed,
especially if not given a spring feed Keep the soil constantly moist by watering
around the plants not over them. As they
need plenty of water, sink a 15cm (6in) pot
alongside the plants when planting out.
Water into this and it will help ensure that
the water goes right down to the roots and
does not sit around the neck of the plant,
which can lead to rotting.
10. Harvest apricots, peaches and nectarines Harvest marrows as needed.
6. Treat apple scab
7. Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from
ponds, and keep them topped up
8. Order catalogues for next year’s spring-
flowering bulbs
Varieties:
• Tiger Cross’ AGM: This is a striped marrow
variety, producing high yields of large
striped fruits, good for winter storage.
Claimed to be Cucumber Mosiac Virus
tolerant.
• ‘Badger Cross’ AGM: F1 hybrid. Later bush
variety of small, good shape with dark
striped fruits. Claimed Cucumber Mosaic
Virus tolerance.
• ‘Clarita’ AGM: An early cropping F1 hybrid.
Offers high yield of pear-shaped, green-
white fruits. It needs cutting when small.
• Minipak’ AGM: A later bush variety with
small dark striped fruits.
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