VEGETABLE PATCH : The descending Waxing Gibbous moon keeps energy close to the soil surface — a fine stretch to focus on leafy crops that thrive on steady, attentive care. Thin rows of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) to 20 cm apart, snipping surplus seedlings at soil level with scissors to avoid root disturbance in neighbouring plants / Sow a short row of climbing spinach (Basella alba) directly in place, pressing seeds 1 cm deep and 15 cm apart; this heat-tolerant alternative to conventional spinach holds up well through July without bolting / Side-dress established pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) and mizuna with a dilute liquid seaweed feed — roughly 5 ml per litre of water applied at the base — to sustain leafy growth without pushing soft, disease-prone tissue / Check the undersides of kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) and cavolo nero leaves for cabbage white eggs; rub off any yellow clusters with a damp cloth before they hatch / In Mediterranean gardens or under polytunnels, shade netting over lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and endive rows between noon and 4 pm prevents tip-burn on the outer leaves.
INDOORS : A quick glance at your windowsill herbs this morning might reveal more than you expect. Pinch out the growing tips of basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants that have reached 15 cm, removing the top two pairs of leaves just above a node — this redirects vigour into bushy lateral growth and delays flowering / Re-pot pot-bound lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) into a container one size larger, using a well-draining mix of two parts loam to one part perlite, and water in with roughly 300 ml to settle the roots / Wipe the broad leaves of indoor fig (Ficus carica) and monstera with a damp cloth to remove dust; clean foliage absorbs light more efficiently, which matters as summer light angles shift.