Falling behind? Get back on track
AS summer really hots up, fruit and veg gardeners should be looking out on a garden or allotment full of burgeoning crops. So what if you’ve missed that horticultural boat? The good news is that it’s easy to catch up. Life events, a sea of weeds and crop failures can all set us back on the plot by weeks, but don’t worry. We’re still on the right side of summer to get things in hand, so here’s an action plan of what to do.
First, be realistic, not proud. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being behind, as it happens to all of us. Don’t stubbornly continue to slog on independently. I once held an allotment party with the tagline ‘Bring a spade, not a bottle’, and luckily folk brought both! If you’re faced with a sea of weeds, just deal with one area at a time, blocking out the rest. A plastic sheet, strimmer or bottle of weedkiller will take hours off your plot’s maintenance tag, and growbags or containers will provide you with an immediate planting area.
Second, there’s nothing wrong with buying plants. Garden centres now sell crops such as chillies and tomatoes with ripe fruits on them. If that doesn’t let you leapfrog along the catch-up line, nothing will!
Finally, get some quick-to-mature crops in the ground, such as salad leaves, radishes, baby turnips and spinach. By sowing now, you can begin picking at the end of the month – now doesn’t that feel better?