Kitchen Garden June 2021

As weather conditions improve and summer draws near we can at last start thinking about sowing those tender crops that make growing your own so special. You may already have tomatoes, peppers and aubergines growing apace and many will have first batches of runner and dwarf French beans on the go inside to fill the freezer come the summer. The time to sow squashes, pumpkins and sweetcorn is also here and we have features on both in this issue packed with top growing tips and ideas to help you get the best from yours this season. Out on the veg patch space will soon be at a premium as early spring sowings start to make their presence felt. To help you get the most from the growing space you have,…

PRUNE CHERRY TREES Early June is a good time to prune cherry trees. This reduces the risk of silver leaf, but it also means that the flowers and small fruitlets have had some extra protection up to this point and it is clear to see where fruit clusters are. GET PLANTS INTO THE GROUND Large plants, raised in pots, should be put into their final growing positions. Root restriction will halt growth and lack of nutrients causes stunting. Get runner beans, brassicas etc. into the ground as soon as you can. MOW AND STRIM Keep cutting grass around beds and on paths in between. Long grass makes a good hiding place for pests and you can use the clippings as a mulch to keep moisture in the soil around larger…

■ SAWFLY Gooseberry sawfly can produce several generations in a year. Larvae look like small looping caterpillars and will soon strip leaves completely. They also attack currant bushes and can decimate blueberry leaves. Be vigilant and squash, squirt with a jet of water or spray the pests with soapy water. ■ WHITEFLY These bright white flies feed on the underside of plant leaves. They particularly like strawberry and tomato leaves. Squash them if you are fast enough, or spray with soapy water. ■ RUST This fungal disease shows as an orange/brown layer on leek leaves. It can also affect garlic and onions but usually hits leeks first. Remove and destroy any affected plants as soon as you see them. Feed and water remaining plants to keep them stress free and…

CARE FOR STRAWBERRIES IN CONTAINERS I always look forward to late May and early June when the first of the strawberries are ready to pick from the polytunnel. I grow them in containers and hanging pots and even without any artificial heat, the plants start to produce sweet, juicy berries several weeks earlier than plants growing outside in the garden. A mixture of warmth created in the polytunnel, good compost and regular watering with a high-potash fertiliser really does bring the plants on. Because the plants are advanced, they also start to produce runners earlier than outside and if left will grow fast. Unless they are needed to propagate new plants, I simply trim them off to divert energy into the fruits. FIGS – PINCH OUT GROWING TIPS When space…

■ Continue to plant first early potatoes until early July to provide a crop of baby new potatoes in early autumn. A simple way to start the seed potatoes into growth is to pot the tubers in 10cm (4in) pots of compost. When they have made several inches of new growth, pot them into bucket-sized pots to grow on as normal. ■ When planting out any new veg or salad plants into the polytunnel borders, always water the ground in advance and then again after planting to get the roots off to a good start. ■ If you have some spare growing space under cover, it’s a good idea to bring in blueberries growing in pots. The extra warmth helps the berries develop and it also means the birds can’t…

CASH BOOST FOR BUMBLEBEES Johnsons Seeds has recently donated more than £5500 to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT), from sales of its Mixed Bumblebee Friendly Flower seeds during the 2020 season. A total of 25p from each packet sold goes directly to the charity, whose mission is to increase the number and distribution of bumblebees. Tessa Brooks, fundraising officer at the BBCT, said: “A huge buzzy thank you to Johnsons Seeds. The money will help the Bumblebee Conservation Trust continue our work to help the UK’s rarest bumblebee species survive and thrive. We know that, by working with landowners to create and manage bumblebee-friendly flower habitat, rare bumblebee species return to areas where they have not been seen for several decades.” For Mixed Bumblebee Friendly Flower seeds go to: www.johnsons-seeds.com…