Weekly jobs

It’s time to plant out young courgette and pumpkin plants

PLANT out young plants of courgettes, pumpkins and squashes. If you didn’t grow these from seed, there’s plenty available in garden centres.

THIN out carrot seedlings – remember to remove completely (and eat!) the thinnings as, if left about, their scent will attract carrot fly. You can cover with horticultural mesh to keep carrot fly away.

COLLECT seed from candelabra primulas and sow fresh. Pop a few nasturtium seeds in pots for a late summer vibrant display.

START feeding tomatoes in grow bags with high potash feed to encourage flowers and fruit formation.

TIE in climbing and rambling roses – the more you train them horizontally, the more this will encourage side shoots to develop and produce more flowers. Spray roses to protect against diseases.

WATER containers, pots and window boxes. Feed fortnightly.

TRAIN sweet peas and cut flowers as they appear so you’ll get more.

PLAN for next spring – now’s the time to start sowing seeds of Bellis perennis, polyanthus, pansies and wallflowers so they will be in flower (when very little else is) for brightening up the garden in the late winter and early spring.

TACKLE bindweed in the borders – remove by digging up every piece of white root or paint on weed killer (you don’t want to kill another plant in the process by spraying wildly).

SOFT fruit such as gooseberries need netting over them for protection or the birds will tuck in.