Page 50 - SV 3 2024

In June I mentioned stopping Chrysanths and dahlias to get the plants to produce laterals which will bear the flowers. Last month I mentioned reducing the number of these laterals if you want large flowers. Make sure these laterals are secured properly because they can easily break
off. Some people stake these laterals individually, but I just bind a string round the whole plant. Depending on when
they were stopped, some may already be forming buds. There is always a central bud surrounded by side buds. If you want decent sized flowers you need to remove these side buds when they are large enough to handle, just leaving the central bud on each lateral to flower. The exception to this are spray Chrysanths in which case you allow all the buds to flower.
Plums and cherries, summer fruiting raspberries, red and white currants, gooseberries and cordon apples can
still be pruned as I described last month. Blackberries can also be pruned. Just cut out the branches from which you have picked the fruit.
I mentioned potato blight last month
and advised you what to do if you have it.
If you didn’t have it then it could still arrive so keep examining your plants for the tell tale brown patches on the leaves. You may have started digging up your potatoes then, anyway, so continue doing so this month. You will probably have several other crops ready for harvesting this month. Many plants can stay in the ground till you need
Sweet peas cut regularly
them, particularly root crops and cabbages but try to harvest beans as soon as they are ready, while they are young and tender. Cauliflowers also need cutting as soon as they are ready because the curds open up. When cauliflowers are developing, bend the leaves over the curds to keep the sun off them to preserve the colour. Another vegetable that needs harvesting as soon as it is ready is sweet corn. The first indication is that the silks at the top begin to turn brown. To test if the kernels are ready,
peel back the outer sheath to reveal them. They should be yellow in colour and if you puncture a kernel with your thumb nail the liquid that comes out should be milky, not watery.
Root crops such as turnips and beetroot and also onions can be harvested when they have grown to a usable size. Cut the roots and foliage off onions and leave them somewhere to dry. I put mine on a table in the shed.
If you are growing endive and you sowed
The first runner beans
some seeds in May or June, the plants should be ready for blanching. Tie the leaves together and cover the plants with an upturned plant pot with a tile over the drainage hole to exclude light.
If you want to increase your stock of perennial flowers, I said in March that you could divide the plants but at this time of the year you can take cuttings. Depending on the growth of the plants you can use shoots growing from the base or side shoots. Cut the about 3 inches long (7,5 cm) just below a leaf joint, remove the bottom leaves and insert them in pots of multipurpose compost.
This time last year I mentioned showing. I make no apologies for mentioning it again because it is very rewarding. You make a lot of friends, and you learn a lot by talking to other exhibitors and looking at the quality of other exhibits. There are many local shows in August and September. Most of them have classes for novices so consider having a go if you haven’t done so before.
Lettuce planted in polytunnel
50 Simply Vegetables