ORCHARD : A waxing gibbous moon rising — sap is moving upward with real purpose today, and fruit trees and canes feel it. Pick ripe plums (Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’ or ‘Opal’) by cupping each fruit and lifting gently sideways; they should come away with the stalk intact, a sign they’re truly ready / Check pear trees (Pyrus communis ‘Conference’, ‘Williams’) for early-ripening fruits: press the shoulder of the fruit near the stalk — a faint give means harvest is close, so gather those first / On raspberry canes (Rubus idaeus ‘Autumn Bliss’), remove all spent summer-fruiting canes at ground level with loppers, leaving new green canes tied loosely to the wire at 10 cm intervals — this improves airflow and channels energy into next season’s crop / Net figs (Ficus carica) showing colour if birds are active; pick any fully soft fruits and leave firmer ones to swell further in the late summer warmth.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Yesterday’s leafy work is done — today the ascending moon in a fruit sign shifts attention to crops that carry their harvest above ground. Pinch out the growing tips of outdoor tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Gardener’s Delight’, ‘San Marzano’) at the top of the main stem, leaving two leaves above the highest truss; this stops the plant wasting energy on new growth that won’t ripen before autumn / Harvest courgettes (Cucurbita pepo ‘Defender’ or ‘Romanesco’) at 15–20 cm length by cutting cleanly with a knife — leaving them to swell reduces overall yield / Check climbing French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Cobra’) and pick pods before they fatten and turn stringy; regular picking every two to three days keeps the plant productive / In Mediterranean gardens or under polytunnel cover, direct-sow a second flush of basil (Ocimum basilicum) in modules, three seeds per cell, to replace plants that are beginning to flower and lose flavour.