VEGETABLE PATCH : New Moon this evening — a natural turning point that marks the end of one cycle and the quiet start of another. On a fruit day, transplanting fruiting vegetables into their final positions is the priority. Sweet pepper plants can go out now at 40 cm in the row, rows 50 cm apart; firm the soil gently around each stem and water in with a full can. Melon plants transplanted today at 80 cm spacing, rows 100 cm apart, will benefit from a generous shovelful of compost worked into each planting hole. On heavier soils, raise the planting position slightly to improve drainage around the crown.
ORCHARD : Wisteria pruned last month may have pushed new growth — pinch back any long whippy shoots now to two or three leaves to keep the framework tidy and channel energy into the wood. The fig tree deserves a quick look: check for any small fruitlets that won’t ripen before autumn and remove them so the tree focuses on the fruit already swelling. Kiwi vines appreciate a summer pinch too — shorten lateral shoots to five leaves beyond the last fruit. Add a layer of well-rotted compost around the base of the cherry tree and plum tree, keeping it clear of the trunk.
LANDSCAPING : Lavender that finished flowering can receive a light trim now — cut back the spent flower stems without touching old wood, and the plant will hold a compact shape through winter. Strawberry runners are ready to peg into small pots of compost set beside the mother plant; once rooted in two to three weeks, sever the runner and you’ll have strong young plants for autumn planting at 30 cm apart, crown level with the soil surface.