Care guides › Perth › July
July in the Perth garden
Mid winter in Perth. Mediterranean: wet winters, long hot dry summers and sandy soil. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 5
- What to harvest 15
- Pruning and deadheading 15
- Pests and diseases to watch for 1
- Tidying up 1
What to plant in July
-
Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
-
Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
-
Spinach
Sow in cool weather; it bolts in heat
-
Potato
Plant seed potatoes once the soil is warm
-
Coriander
Sow in cooler months; it bolts in heat
What to harvest in July
-
Spinach
Pick outer leaves
-
Kale
Pick lower leaves; cool weather sweetens them
-
Broccoli
Cut the head while buds are tight; side shoots follow
-
Cauliflower
Cut while the curd is firm and white
-
Cabbage
Cut when the head feels firm
-
Leek
Lift as needed through winter
-
Orange Tree
Pick when sweet; taste one to check
-
Lemon Tree
Pick lemons as they colour; they hold on the tree
-
Passionfruit
Collect fruit as it drops; wrinkled is ripe
-
Lime Tree
Pick limes green and firm
-
Mandarin
Pick as they colour
-
Cumquat
Pick when fully orange
-
Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
-
Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
-
Coriander If you have time
Pick leaves young; let a few go to seed
Pruning and deadheading
-
Apple Tree and Pear Tree
Winter prune while bare: open the centre, shorten leaders by a third
-
Rose
Winter prune: cut back by about half to outward-facing buds
-
Hydrangea
Cut stems that flowered back to a pair of fat buds
-
Wisteria
Winter prune: shorten the same shoots to 2-3 buds
-
Grape Vine
Winter prune each spur back to 2 buds
-
Butterfly Bush
Prune hard in winter to a low framework
-
Salvia
Cut back to the new shoots at the base
-
Fig Tree If you have time
Winter prune to keep fruit in reach
-
Blueberry Bush If you have time
Remove the oldest canes and twiggy growth
-
Blackcurrant Bush If you have time
Remove about a third of the oldest stems
-
Gooseberry Bush If you have time
Open up the centre and shorten side shoots
-
Clematis If you have time
Light trim back to strong buds
-
Japanese Maple If you have time
Remove crossing branches while bare
-
Crepe Myrtle If you have time
Remove twiggy growth and spent seed heads; never lop
-
Smoke Bush If you have time
Prune in winter for bigger leaves (fewer plumes)
Pests and diseases to watch for
-
Orange Tree, Mandarin and Cumquat If you have time
Citrus gall wasp: cut off swollen stems before spring
Tidying up
-
Kangaroo Grass If you have time
Cut back hard every couple of years to refresh it
Not listed: Waratah, Flannel Flower, Rock Orchid, Common Heath, Cooktown Orchid, Christmas Bells, NSW Christmas Bush, Illawarra Flame Tree, Blueberry Ash, Tree Fern and Native Violet, which don't suit Perth's climate.