Jun 26 2008
Garden Maintenance in July – 1
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The kitchen garden is one of my favourite places at this time of year – there is so much going on that it hardly seems like garden maintenance, more like a journey of discovery. You never know quite what is going to be ready to harvest and what culinary delights you can come up with!
Soft fruits are at their best so there are lots to harvest, currants, raspberries (my personal favourite) and gooseberries. You need to think about cutting back side shoots on gooseberries and all varieties of currant, and don’t forget to remove the fruited stems from your summer raspberries either. Strawberry beds need to be tidied up once they have finished fruiting and it is a good idea to thin out apples if you don’t want the tree to struggle.
July is one of the best times of year for regularly fresh veg from the garden too, and by regular cropping you will keep everything going, particularly courgettes, peas and bean. Plenty of water is essential too, even a couple of dry days can make a difference, especially if it is as windy as it has been here. This is probably as late as you can leave it for the last sowing of runner beans. My tomatoes have not done so well this year but it is finally time to remove the shoots from the cordon grown ones so that the four trusses develop well.
In terms of sowing, it is time to turn your thoughts to the autumn and winter vegetables with sowings of spring cabbage carrots, winter brassicas, leeks, spinach and Chinese leaves in their many forms. I’m going to try some winter salads this year and see how they go. You should never rest on your laurels where your kitchen garden is concerned – always think a few months ahead and make sure you have a constant stream of harvestable crops coming through.
