VEGETABLE PATCH : Before the evening change, a leaf day stretches ahead — use the longer morning window well. Leek seedlings started under cover a few weeks ago are ready to plant out: set them 12 cm apart in the row, rows 30 cm, in a well-prepared bed. Fennel goes in at 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 40 cm — its anise scent deters aphids nearby. Cabbage sown in modules at 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, will be ready to plant out at 50 cm in the row, rows 60 cm, in four to six weeks. A foliar spray of diluted horsetail decoction over young seedlings now helps strengthen cell walls against summer mildew.
VEGETABLE PATCH (after the evening change, fruit day) : Once the sign shifts, turn your attention to tomato and courgette. Check tomato ties and pinch out lateral shoots just above the leaf node to keep energy focused on swelling fruit. Courgette plants benefit from a gentle inspection — remove any yellowing leaves at the base to improve airflow and slow powdery mildew.
ORCHARD : Raspberry canes are pushing hard this time of year. Walk the row and remove any crossing or overcrowded canes at soil level — good air circulation now means cleaner fruit later. Currant bushes appreciate a generous mulch of well-rotted compost around their base to keep roots cool as temperatures climb.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria has likely finished its first flush — shorten the long whippy shoots back to five or six leaves now to encourage the second flowering and keep the plant from swamping its support. Clematis in full growth can be tied in gently to guide new stems before they tangle.