VEGETABLE PATCH : A root day under a waning gibbous moon — the right conditions to sow carrots directly in the ground, 1 cm deep with seeds 2 cm apart, in rows spaced 25 cm. Beetroot suits the moment too: sow 2 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart, rows 30 cm. If earlier sowings are crowding, thin carrot seedlings to 5 cm apart and beetroot to 10 cm — roots swell better with room to breathe. Water the seedbed gently after sowing to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.
ORCHARD : Walk among your raspberry canes and cut back any that have finished fruiting right to the base — this opens air circulation and channels energy toward next year’s young canes. Grapevines can be pinched back now: shorten lateral shoots to two leaves beyond the last cluster to improve light and fruit quality.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria benefits from a summer trim — shorten the long whippy shoots back to five or six leaves from the main framework, encouraging flowering spurs for next spring. Lavender that has just finished blooming can be lightly tidied now, removing spent stems without cutting into old wood.