Page 19 - ALG Issue 2 2021

...June, July & August
SCAN HERE TO VIEW A WHOLE YEAR OF MONTHLY JOBS!
FRUIT
• Givestrawberrybedsatidyover–ensurethey are all well mulched down with straw or similar. If you wish to increase your plant numbers, allow one or two good strong runners from a healthy plant to either be pegged down to the ground to root, into a small pot of compost.
• Topfruitsuchasapplesandpearsshouldstart to shed a little excess fruit. This is perfectly natural and is referred to as ‘June Drop’. Young trees should be thinned by hand
in the first few years.
• Keepawatchfuleyeover
gooseberries for gooseberry sawfly attacks.
squashes pumpkins etc.
• If not done so already, sow chicory for
winterforcing.
• Ensure peas all have sufficient
stakes, canes or netting for support.
GREENHOUSE
• Ensuregreenhouses,polytunnelsand cold frames are well ventilated on warm days, as temperatures will soon rise and can damage young plants.
• Floors,stagingetc.canbedamped down with the garden hose or watering can. This lessens the chance of red spider mite attacks, which thrive in hot dry conditions.
• Ifnecessary,shadingcanbeapplied to the greenhouse either as a paint/ spray on product, or as a netting
applied to the outside of the house to
break the sun’s rays.
• Ensurethatallgreenhousecrops
such as tomatoes, cucumbers and melons are kept well-watered, and new growth is tied in regularly.
FLOWER
• Ensurealldahliasareplantedout before the middle of the month, and stake well for the taller varieties. Keep them well-watered.
• Gladioliforcutflowersmayalso benefit from the support of a cane per flower spike to keep them growing straight.
• Annualcutflowersshouldbewell hardened off and planted out early in the month.
FLOWER
• Keepallcutflowerswell- watered.
• Keeptyinginsweetpeas and cut off faded blooms.
• Keepdahliaswellfed, they are greedy plants.
• Cutanyannualcut flowers as they are ready.
and spring harvests. These should be plantedoutintofirmsoilassoonas they are ready.
• Keepsowingsmallbatchesofsalad crops such as lettuce, radish, spring onionsetc.,preferablyinashady spot.
FRUIT
• Apples and pears that are trained as espaliers, step-overs, cordons etc. will need to be pruned this month. Reduce all this seasons growth by onethird,pruningjustabovealeaf joint.
• Protectripeningcherriesfrombirds.
• Finishharvestingrhubarbbytheend of the month. Give crowns a heavy
mulch of manure or similar.
GREENHOUSE
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Keepgreenhouses,polytunnelsetc. well ventilated, and, in the hottest weather,keepdampingdown greenhouses wherever possible. Continuetotieinnewgrowthon tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Tomatoesshouldbewell-watered to avoid blossom end rot and
fed regularly with a high potash (potassium) fertiliser. Continue to remove side-shoots, and on warm days tap the plant to aid pollination. Melonsmayrequirepollinating.To do this remove a ‘male’ flower (one withoutasmallfruitbehindit)and pushitinsidea‘female’flower(one with a small fruit)
A last sowing of dwarf French beans can be made early in the month for a September harvest
• Feedasparagusbedsthensupport the top growth.
• Checkoverautumnplantedonions in storage for early signs of rot; they never tend to store as well as maincrops.
• Harvest second early potatoes as required.
FRUIT
• Finishallsummerpruningontrained apples and pears.
• Pruneblackcurrantsbyremovingany branches that have carried fruit this year.
• Reduceside-shootsonredandwhite currants by two thirds.
Reduce side-shoots on red and white currants by two thirds
• Removestrawfromaround strawberry plants that have finished fruiting, lightly prick the soil and add a general fertiliser. Prepare new strawberry beds.
• Prunesummerfruitingraspberries and tie in new unfruited canes, then treat as for strawberries above.
FLOWER
• Continueasperlastmonth.
• Ensurethatanywinterbedding
seeds are sown no later than the beginning of the month. Winter pansies, violas, wallflowers, primulas etc. can really brighten up plots in the duller months of the year.
GREENHOUSE
• Continueaslastmonth with watering, feeding and tying in, and harvest all tomatoes, cucumbers etc. as necessary.
• Ripeningmelonsshould be supported with nets so they cannot break away from the
vine as they swell.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 19