July
1.
This is often one of the hottest months so young crops should be kept well-watered. Do this first thing or last thing at night.
2.
First earlies should be lifted when required and be vigilant for signs of blight (black blotches on foliage).
3.
Keep using your liquid feed every one to two weeks on your crops.
4.
Sow and plant out your brassicas for winter and spring harvests.
5.
Keep sowing salad crops like lettuce, radishes and spring onions.
6.
Rhubarb harvesting should stop at the end of July. Give crowns a heavy mulching.
7.
Maintain ventilation in greenhouses and poly tunnels. Make sure tomatoes are well watered to prevent bottom end rot. Feed with potash fertiliser.
August
1.
A busy month for harvesting crops and a great time to pickle, preserve and store your fruit and veg.
2.
Clear any spent crops as soon as the last harvest is picked, mulch up with well rotted manure to prevent weed growth.
3.
PLant out remainder of spring brassicas and draw up a little soil around stem to prevent damage from high winds.
4.
Harvest second early potatoes as required.
5.
Pruning of blackcurrent branches that have fruited this year. Reduce current bush side shoots by two thirds.
6.
Grow 'green manure' on empty beds where crops have been harvested.
7.
In the greenhouse/poly tunnel continue as last month with watering and feeding and supporting growth on plants.
September
1.
Now is a good time to look at the successes and failures of this year and make plans to ensure that next year is better.
2.
onions and potatoes they need to be got out of the soil before the cold, damp days of autumn arrive.
3.
Harvest apples and pears as they become ready and pick the late season strawberries & raspberries to keep them producing fruit
4.
Now we have shorter, cooler days it is the perfect time to sow the seed of the Oriental vegetables.
5.
Plant out earlier sown spring cabbage and protect with netting or fleece.
6.
Feed all late crops with a general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure.
7.
Wasps are attracted this time of year due to the ripening of your fruit. Hang wasp traps in fruit trees.