A summary of summer tasks: 

Summer is here, and let’s hope it’s better than last year! Everything in the garden or on the plot should be looking pretty good now, and the frenetic activity of the last three months can give way to a more leisurely pace of maintenance then harvesting.

Most of the sowing and planting is done, but don’t forget successional sowing of crops like carrots, swedes, French and runner beans, salads, spinach and beetroot. Its time to plant out celeriac, leeks, winter cabbages and kale; and if you haven’t put in the tender crops like courgettes, French and runner beans and sweet-corn they do need to go in now, either transplanted if you sowed them indoors, or the seeds sown direct in the ground. We may be able to start harvesting baby new potatoes, carrots, beetroots, broad beans, peas, lettuce and other salad crops now as well as Japanese onions planted in the autumn.

Pest control at this stage is essential. Check frequently to see if greedy blighters are getting to the crops before you! Fleece or fine netting protects from birds, butterflies and bugs (e.g. carrot root fly); companion planting (e.g. borage, cosmos, calendula, convolvulus tricolour, yarrow) can attract useful predatory insects like ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies and pollinating insects. Strong scents (e.g. French and African marigolds, smelly herbs, onions planted around carrots) will confuse the baddies. A mixed habitat including ponds, native hedging, and lots of flowers, berries and seed- heads, will attract birds, frogs, newts, toads and insects; many of these are predators to pests. As a last resort, there are some acceptable pesticides: insecticidal soap and fatty acids against aphids, but don’t do it when it’s sunny else the leaves will get fried! Sulphur as a fungicide; and joy oh joy an organically acceptable slug and snail killer: Growing Success new improved rainproof slug killer: ferric phosphate. Let’s be vigilant with our hygiene (removing dead, damaged or diseased plant materials) to prevent diseases building up, good husbandry (making sure plants have enough space, light and water, especially important during dry spells when fruiting plants are coming into flower or setting fruit) and regular inspection to check for pests, disease and disorders; take swift remedial action. Don’t forget to keep hoeing to keep the weeds down and to keep the soil surface friable so that water can sink in, not run off. Feed fruiting plants with a high potassium liquid, either one you’ve made by steeping comfrey leaves in water for a month, dilute about 1:10 so it’s the colour of weak tea before using, or use a proprietary brand of organic tomato feed.

It’s not too late to plant up containers of ornamental or productive plants; window boxes, hanging baskets, grow-bags and tubs can all be used especially if you only have a limited space. A minimum of six hours of sunshine is essential for most things though, but Busy Lizzies and salad leaves will cope with less. For anything sizeable, like courgettes, tomatoes, French beans and peppers, you will need a tub with a minimum size of 30cm diameter and depth, 45cm would be even better. Grow-bags will also suffice, though they are a bit shallow for the tomatoes. Try putting a bottomless 20cm plant pot on top of the grow-bag, tucked just into the compost and filled with extra compost. Pop the support cane through this and into the grow bag for extra stability. The plant will produce more roots from the lower stem. Window boxes will work for salad leaves, spring onions, carrots and beetroot, as well as herbs. Tumbling tomatoes are ideal candidates for hanging baskets. Some receptacles have a built in reservoir in the base which can be handy for thirsty crops; a saucer beneath will conserve water, but it’s a good idea to put some gravel in this to avoid the roots getting waterlogged. On a patio the plants will get extra warmth, at night and in cool spells, from the walls of the house, plus some wind shelter.

Do make sure that there are enough drainage holes in the base, drill some more if necessary, then put in a 4cm minimum layer of crocking: broken pots, gravel or broken up polystyrene in the bottom. The latter is useful if you need them to be light enough to move around, but if it’s a windy spot or a more permanent planting like a small fruit tree or bush, then the heavier options provide more stability. Mix some water retentive crystals into the compost. Organic multi-purpose is fine and useful if you need a light-weight medium, e.g. on a balcony. Some home-made compost and/or top-soil could be added for the afore-mentioned fruit trees (dwarf stock only). Blueberries are ideal for containers but need an ericaceous compost. I mix in some seaweed meal, organic fertiliser and vermiculite too, and having planted the container up and watered it well I like to give it a mulch of Hydroleca balls, grit, gravel or sterile soil conditioner, to retain moisture and suppress weeds. The containers need to be kept moist, watering daily, and fruiting plants need a weekly high potash feed when in flower and setting fruit. Netting over the small plants will deter cats from using these new litter trays! In a windy spot go for small not tall stuff. Courgettes, with their big leaves, don’t do well in wind and remember, if it is windy, the plants will lose loads of moisture and need extra watering. Molluscs and aphids may be a problem, so take appropriate preventative and remedial action, like organic slug pellets and growing flowers like Calendula or Limnanthes to attract predatory insects.