Before the change (morning), leaf day : Courgette and other fruiting crops had their window early — but the shift arrives quickly this morning. Use the brief early hours to check on any established plants in the ground: remove yellowing outer leaves to improve airflow and reduce disease pressure.
VEGETABLE PATCH : A fruit day takes hold for most of the day — perfect for harvesting and tending fruiting crops at their peak. Pick tomatoes as soon as they colour up fully; regular harvesting encourages the plant to set new fruits higher up the stem. Cucumbers are best gathered before they run to seed — check daily and twist ripe ones off cleanly. Sweet peppers and aubergines benefit from the same attention: harvest any that have reached full size to keep plants productive. Beans are ready when pods snap cleanly — pick every two or three days to extend the season. In a Mediterranean climate or polytunnel, melons can be checked for ripeness now by pressing gently near the stalk.
ORCHARD : Scan your fruit trees for early windfalls — collect them promptly from the ground to avoid attracting wasps and spreading disease. Raspberry canes that have finished fruiting can have their spent stems cut back to the base; leave the young green canes in place for next year. Currant bushes and blackcurrants appreciate a generous watering at the root zone during dry spells — this helps swell any remaining fruits and supports next year’s buds forming beneath the surface.