ORCHARD : The descending moon under a fruits day — a genuinely productive combination for everything that bears or will bear. Thin developing fruitlets on plum (Prunus domestica) and cherry (Prunus avium) trees now, removing the smallest or most crowded fruits to leave one every 8–10 cm along each branch; this redirects the tree’s energy into fewer, fuller fruits and reduces the risk of branch breakage later in summer / Check gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) and redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) bushes for signs of sawfly larvae — those tiny pale-green caterpillars can strip a bush bare in days — and pick them off by hand or apply a pyrethrin-based spray in the early morning / Mulch around the base of young pear (Pyrus communis) and quince (Cydonia oblonga) trees with a 5–7 cm layer of well-rotted bark chips, keeping the mulch 10 cm clear of the trunk to prevent collar rot; this also suppresses competing weeds through the warmer weeks ahead.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Yesterday I noticed how quickly strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) runners had crept across the bed — worth a look in your own patch today. Pinch off any unwanted runners at the base to keep the mother plant’s energy focused on developing fruit rather than spreading / Set out young courgette (Cucurbita pepo) plants under a cloche or fleece if nights remain cool, spacing them 80 cm apart; the descending moon encourages the plant to settle its root system before putting on leafy growth / Sow outdoor cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seeds 2 cm deep in small pots on a warm windowsill, or directly in a polytunnel if you have one — germination is faster above 18 °C and the fruits day supports strong fruit-set later / Feed established strawberry beds with a balanced potassium-rich liquid fertiliser at half the recommended dose; potassium directly supports flower-to-fruit development and improves overall berry flavour.
LANDSCAPING : Climbing roses (Rosa ‘New Dawn’, ‘Compassion’) that have put on vigorous new shoots since pruning will benefit from having those stems tied in to their support structure today — left loose, they snap in wind and the season’s best flowering wood is lost / Deadhead fading wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri) and early alliums (Allium hollandicum) to keep borders tidy and encourage any remaining buds to open fully / If you garden on sandy or free-draining soil, work a generous handful of garden compost into the planting hole before setting out summer-flowering shrubs such as Weigela florida or Kolkwitzia amabilis; this helps retain moisture around the roots during dry spells without waterlogging heavier ground.