Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - July

 JULY

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
July	96,9	81	6,2	17,4	7,1

POSITION	The shortest day has passed and days are getting longer but only marginally. The daily sunshine hours are still short and trees may have to be moved to sunnier spots. In some cases shade cloth should be removed to allow for more light. It may be necessary to tie some trees down because of the strong north-west winds which blow now.
WATERING	The water table is high and frequent rains and dull days often mean wet condi­tions but, take care! A few dry days and bonsai could suffer. The winds are strong and frequent, shelter delicate trees and pots!  Ensure that pots drain correctly.
FERTILISING	No point in fertilising this month - temperatures are too low.
DISEASE CONTROL	Snails and slugs are busy, use appropriate bait. Fungus spores may be active during wet humid conditions. It is never cold enough in our area to kill spores of fungus effectively.  Spray with fungicides if necessary.
PRUNING	Winter prune and design prune deciduous trees.
POTTING	This is a really busy potting month for most deciduous trees such as celtis, ulmus, acer, taxodium, betula, carpinus, wisteria and malus. Visit a nursery for soil and pot supplies. It is always preferable to take a tree for which a pot is to be chosen to the pot supplier for direct selection.
REMARKS	A month when enthusiasm is sometimes at a low ebb but soon sap will be rising. Enjoy exchanging views with like minded people and reading books and maybe even surfing the web on Bonsai and related topics.