ORCHARD : The ascending Waning Crescent brings sap quietly upward — a genuinely useful moment to focus on swelling fruit. Check developing clusters on cherry (Prunus avium) and early-ripening plum (Prunus domestica ‘Opal’) trees: remove any mummified fruitlets clinging to spurs, and thin where more than 3 fruits press together so the remaining ones have room to size up properly / On young peach (Prunus persica) and nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) trees, pinch out any secondary shoots crowding the centre of the canopy — open structure improves airflow and reduces the risk of brown rot as summer humidity builds / Inspect gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa ‘Invicta’) and whitecurrant (Ribes rubrum ‘White Versailles’) for sawfly larvae; pick them off by hand or apply an approved insecticidal soap spray at dusk, working from the underside of leaves upward / In Mediterranean gardens, young fig (Ficus carica) fruitlets benefit from a deep watering (10–15 litres at the root zone) now, as drought stress at this stage causes premature fruit drop.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Gardener’s Delight’, ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’) are setting their second and third trusses — snap off any sideshoots above the second truss cleanly between thumb and forefinger, and tie the main stem loosely to its support every 20–25 cm / Courgette (Cucurbita pepo ‘Defender’) and summer squash plants are flowering freely; hand-pollinate female flowers in the morning using a soft brush or a freshly picked male flower if bee activity seems low — this directly improves fruit set / Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and French climbing beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Cobra’) appreciate a generous soak at the base today (5–8 litres per plant), particularly on sandy soils where moisture drains fast; mulch with a 5 cm layer of grass clippings to lock that in / Cucumber (Cucumis sativus ‘Marketmore’) grown under cover benefits from a diluted high-potash liquid feed (10 ml per 5 litres) at this stage to support fruit development without pushing excessive leaf growth.