Capel Allotments Association
Guide to Gardening – July 2026
Email: News@CapelAllotments.co.uk
Website: www.capelallotments.co.uk
July Gardening Tips
- Hoe weekly to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
- Cut down and spray uncultivated areas where necessary.
- Scatter slug pellets responsibly.
- Water plants regularly.
- Top-dress containers and feed plants weekly.
- Going on holiday? Arrange for a friend to water your plants.
- Ask them to pick all sweet peas, courgettes, French beans and runner beans, as leaving mature produce on the plant will reduce further cropping.
- Stock up on charcoal for those impromptu summer barbecues!
Vegetable Plot
Plant
- Brassicas
- Leeks
- Second early potatoes for Christmas (earth up once frost has killed the tops later in the year)
Sow
- Salad crops
- Parsley
- French beans
- Carrots
Jobs This Month
- Pinch out tomato side shoots and tie in plants.
- Feed tomatoes weekly.
- Spray potatoes and outdoor tomatoes to help prevent potato blight.
- Lift shallots when foliage dies back.
- Thin seedlings sown during June.
Fruit Garden
- Check for insect pests and spray responsibly if required.
- Protect fruit from birds and butterflies using netting.
- Pick soft fruit regularly.
- Tie in new fruit shoots.
- Remove old strawberry leaves, runners and straw.
- Feed strawberries at 2 oz per square yard.
- Dig up and dispose of three-year-old strawberry plants.
- Prepare a new, well-manured bed now for next year's crop.
Greenhouse
- Ventilate well and provide shade during hot weather.
- Maintain humidity.
- Water daily.
- Take softwood and semi-ripe cuttings using sandy compost.
- Control insect pests.
- Tie tomato, cucumber, pepper and aubergine plants to their supports.
- Feed weekly with tomato fertiliser once fruits begin to swell.
- Hand-pollinate female melon flowers, keeping the main stem dry.
- Sow peas, mangetout and sugar snaps in guttering. When seedlings reach around 3 cm tall, slide them into a shallow trench outdoors.
Flowers
- Deadhead regularly to encourage continuous flowering.
- Tie in sweet peas.
- Feed roses after their first flush of flowers.
- Stake tall herbaceous plants.
- Mulch borders to retain moisture.
Lawns
- Mow weekly.
- Apply a granular lawn feed or lawn weed killer as required.
Village Show 2026
Saturday & Sunday, 5th–6th September 2026
The Village Show is open to all amateur growers and crafters, wherever you live.
Schedules are available on our website or may already have been sent to previous exhibitors.
Please support the Show by entering your exhibits and visiting to enjoy the wonderful displays.
Photography Trophy
2026 Subjects
- A Garden Scene
- My Favourite Pet
- A Vintage Vehicle
- Patterns
Rules
- Colour photographs only.
- Size: Minimum 150 × 100 mm (6 × 4 in).
- Maximum 190 × 130 mm (7.5 × 5 in).
- Mounted.
- Taken within the last 12 months.
Handicraft Cup
2026 Classes
- Hand-knitted item of clothing (Free Choice)
- Knitted accessory
- Crocheted accessory
- Decorated gift box (maximum 20 × 20 × 20 cm)
- Cross-stitch card of a potting shed (maximum 250 × 150 mm)
- Cross-stitch or tapestry item
- Any other craft item (hard materials)
- Any other craft item (soft materials)
All entries must have been made within the last twelve months.
Art Competition
2026 Subjects
- Landscape or Seascape
- Portrait
- Abstract
Upcoming Event
Picnic-on-the-Plot
Saturday 25th July – From late afternoon
Members and their guests are invited to join us for our annual Picnic-on-the-Plot at the Pound Lane Allotments.
Bring your own picnic and enjoy a relaxed summer evening with fellow members.
Allotment News
The Hut
Open Saturdays only from 10.00 am – 12.00 noon.
We continue to offer local online deliveries for members with limited mobility. Orders may also be placed in advance for Saturday collection.
Pond & Wildlife Area
Look out for dragonflies, damselflies, frogs and newts.
If you spot something you cannot identify, check the information boards around the pond.
Join 'n' Save
Membership is just £5 per year and is open to both plot holders and non-plot holders, wherever you live.
Sheds
Please contact the Site Manager before constructing a new shed or making alterations to an existing one.
