I’m giving crops a helping hand The ‘June drop’ has begun but I’m also thinking ahead to winter, too
There are certain times of year when Mother Nature has a schedule and sticks to it no matter what; this month it’s the ‘June drop’, especially in relation to fruit trees. You’ll start to notice apples, pears, cherries and plums begin to abort some of their fruit for apparently no reason, leaving fruitlets all over the floor. If the fruit is damaged or the seed is not viable, the tree will drop that fruit and try and concentrate on the remainder, yet sometimes even this isn’t enough and we need to give a helping hand. Gently shaking the tree or branch can help dislodge fruit that will ultimately drop, then we can space them further apart later in the month to ensure a bumper harvest.
I’ve already started thinking about the colder months of the year, sowing savoy cabbage ‘Tundra’, which is ready to plant out and will harvest November through to next April. However, if you haven’t started yet there’s still time. Seeds can be sown this month in modules or pots and then planted out in July as long as you keep them moist in the summer sun; I’ll also add a piece of rhubarb leaf to the planting hole as it’s supposed to help keep club root at bay (it’s probably an old wives’ tale, but I always do it!). Don’t forget to net the plants against the dreaded cabbage white butterfly or you’ll have nothing left come winter!
If you’re finding gaps appearing in the veg garden as you start to harvest crops, there’s still time to make a sowing of dwarf French beans, which will crop later in the year and are great to freeze or add to home-made piccalilli. I like ‘Nautica’, but I’m also sowing a pre-bought trio of yellow, green and purple pods, which should add interest to the garden and plate. Seeds can be sown directly where you want them to grow and mice shouldn’t be a problem as there’s so much other food around for them at this time of year. However, if you’re unsure it’s best to start them in modules.
When harvesting lettuce, I like to remove the outer leaves from several plants to make a mix rather than harvest a whole head; by doing this the plants remain growing and produce more of a harvest in the long run. It also means you can make sure there’s space between plants as you remove the leaves; this allows for good airflow and fewer places for slugs to hide.