Gardening expert Monty Don has shared his key July gardening tips and says it's important to act quickly08:29, 15 Jul 2026The time has finally come when we can all bask in our gardens and enjoy the sunshine after months of hard work to make our outside spaces look as glorious as possible.‌However, gardening expert Monty Don says some gardeners could have an extra reward if they harvest a specific crop now as it will be at its very best.‌For those who have grown fruit this summer, now is the perfect time to pick raspberries for the very sweetest taste.‌Writing on his blog, Monty explained: "I would trade the very best strawberry for any raspberries and the summer fruiting varieties are at their best in July."Summer-fruiting raspberries carry their fruit on the canes that grew the previous summer - so all the fresh growth made in the current year will crop next July - whereas autumn-fruiting types such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ produce their fruit on the new-season’s growth.‌"There is a freshness and seasonal treat to the summer raspberries that makes them especially good and we often pick a bowl just before supper and eat with a little cream whilst they are still warm from the evening sun. Heaven!"However, despire the seemingly neverending heatwave there are still some jobs UK gardeners need to tackle this month.The Gardener's World presenter urges gardeners to ensure that any flowers, shrubs, trees or crops grown in pots and containers receive just as much attention as those planted directly into the ground, particularly during the warmer months.‌Monty explained: "Most plants grown in a container of any kind will exhaust the available nutrients from the compost they were originally planted as they grow and will need a regular supplementary feed for the rest of the summer. A weekly feed high in potash that will help promote root and flower formation (but not over-lush foliage) is ideal. I find liquid seaweed or a proprietary liquid tomato feed to work well."The secret is to give just enough - and not too much. Too many nutrients are as damaging as too few as it causes rapid, lush growth - often at the expense of flowers or fruit - and which attracts extra fungal and predatory problems. Never be tempted to make the feed any stronger than the instructions dictate and if in any doubt reduce the strength. Your plants and displays will be the better for it.", reports Wales Online.‌There's plenty to appreciate at this time of year, with roses now in full bloom, and gardeners are being urged to ensure these aren't overlooked either.He said: "Roses are still looking good at the beginning of the month and the clematis switch from the big blooms of the early summer types (group II) to the more abundant, albeit smaller flowers of the viticella and other late-flowering (group III) ones. Tender annuals such as cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers and tithonias hit their strife and crocosmia, agapanthus, lilies and dahlias are all summer-flowering bulbs that enrich the borders."Among other tasks Monty recommends gardeners tackle this month is removing any lower leaves from outdoor tomatoes to enhance ventilation and minimise the risk of blight. July is also the ideal time to prune fruit trees, which — unlike winter pruning — won't result in excessive regrowth.Article continues belowMonty explained: "Unless you are training a particular new shoot, remove all this year's growth back to a couple of pairs of leaves (usually about 2-4 inches) being careful not to remove any ripening fruits. If you are training the fruit to a particular shape, tie desired but loose growth in as you go. Cutting it back now also allows light and air onto the fruit that is ripening and stops your trees becoming too crowded with unproductive branches."Early-flowering perennials such as oriental poppies, delphiniums and hardy geraniums can also be cut back during July. This carries the added bonus of encouraging as much new growth as possible, resulting in an even more impressive display of blooms come autumn.