Harvest

When watermelons are ripe, the rind loses its shine and the melon makes a hollow sound when tapped.

• Wait for main crop potatoes such as Agria and Rua to flower and die down fully before digging the tubers. This cures their skins for better storage.

• To save your own seeds, let one plant in every row go unpicked. Bean, lettuce, pea and tomato seeds are easily saved and resown.