VEGETABLE PATCH : A brief root window closes in the early morning — before that, firm in any courgette or tomato transplants that were set out recently, checking they sit at 50 cm in the row (rows 70 cm apart for tomatoes, 80 cm for courgettes) and are well settled against the soil. Once the flower day takes over, shift attention to fruit-bearing crops: pinch out side shoots on tomatoes to direct energy toward the trusses already forming, and check that young squash plants have enough space — 100 cm in the row, rows 150 cm apart.
LANDSCAPING : Long summer days suit flower-day work beautifully. Dahlia tubers planted a little late can still go in at 10 cm deep, 60 cm apart each way — water in well and they’ll catch up quickly. Zinnia and cosmos transplants raised under cover are ready for their final positions: zinnias at 25 cm in the row, rows 30 cm apart; cosmos at 30 cm in the row, rows 40 cm apart. Work a handful of compost into each planting hole to give roots a warm welcome. On heavy soils, add a little grit around dahlia tubers to prevent waterlogging.
ORCHARD : Waxing gibbous energy suits a tidy-up around fruiting trees. Spread a 5 cm compost layer to the drip line of fig trees and lemon trees, keeping it a hand’s width clear of the trunk. Kiwi plants benefit from a summer pinch now — count five leaves beyond the last flower cluster and cut there to keep vigour in check and improve fruit set.