What to do on the Allotment in July

July on the Allotment

From July into the autumn months most of the frantic sowing and planting out has been finished although there are still some varieties of beans which can be sown or planted out as they really don’t like cold nights and have just about and salad crops can continue to be sown for some months.

However, while the sowing and planting may have slowed down the harvesting and dealing with the resultant crops is only just starting. What joy!

Maintenance around the plot and in greenhouses or poly-tunnels –

ü  watch for caterpillar attacks on tomato plants – pick off and destroy as you find them – tomato caterpillars, which can be green or beige coloured and really quite chunky will feed on leaves and fruits , destroying the fruits and allowing botrytis [grey mould] into the plants.

ü  Watch, also, for red spider mite on indoor plants – they like dry warm conditions and can take over and destroy your indoor aubergines, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chilli plants. The leaves of affected plants will take on a mottled unhealthy appearance. On closer inspection you will see webs, mostly on the backs of leaves and when the infestation is severe, between leaves and stems [if the infestation reaches this level, it is best to dig up and remove the infected plants – keeping a close eye on nearby plants for similar infection].

ü  For me, at any rate, slugs and snails are not a problem indoors but can still be a serious issue on outdoor plants, especially brassicas. Do keep an eye on their activity – slug traps, pellets, etc are useful though, they can be quite a pest underground with root crops and potatoes.

ü  Birds are always a problem though, thankfully, not indoors. Netting brassica plants is essential. Berries, especially gooseberries, are especially susceptible to harvesting by blackbirds. They also enjoy redcurrants and whitecurrants. I have found, over the years that blackbirds will take the ripe [red] sides out of ripening strawberries and will harvest the odd raspberry, it is not worth the trouble and expense of covering these fruits though redcurrants, cherries and gooseberries are a whole different ballgame – the birds are not prepared to share but, will take the lot.

A couple of years ago I also noticed that my rows of carrots were diminishing daily. One early morning I saw a plump pigeon eating off the lush green tops of my developing carrot plants – and I thought the only problems were poor germination and carrot root fly.

ü  Carrot Root Fly – an ongoing problem in the UK for carrot crops. I have tried many methods of beating this pest, including planting above 30cm or in raised beds. I have sown in a carrot box – made for me by a kind neighbour – about 1 metre off the ground. It seems the carrot fly on my allotment field have not read the manual – they also attacked my penthouse crops.

I have also tried inter-planting rows of carrots with plants like marigold with little success. I have found that earlier sown carrots and especially white carrots which seem to have a less ’carroty’ smell, are less likely to be attacked by carrot fly.

My best success has been with indoor grown carrots early in the season – with a suitable variety; sowing early – though possibly not as early as some seed houses suggest

ü  By June you should have finished harvesting asparagus. The plants should now be allowed to grow on into ferns, watch out for asparagus beetle and remove any beetles or larvae as soon as they are seen. It is important to allow all the spears to grow to maturity from now on, to feed and strengthen the roots for next year’s crops.

ü  Aphids - particularly on broad beans, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants [especially red ants which seem to be more destructive and quicker to bite than their black ant cousins] – while they don’t, in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their nests under plants undermining them. Broad beans are particularly susceptible to black aphids. Remove the top growing points as soon as the plants have set pods at lower levels. While this does not eliminate the aphids it should discourage and hopefully encourage them to move elsewhere.

ü  Continue to pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomato plants as they appear [not from bush tomatoes], on plants already growing on in green houses and poly-tunnels. Stake or tie up tomato and cucumber plants as they develop to keep them upright. By now the plants should be setting the young fruits;

ü  Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes and squashes are greedy feeders and are thirsty. They will require regular feeding and watering especially in warm dry weather;

ü  Pick courgettes regularly to prevent them from becoming too large and to encourage the plants to produce more;

ü  Strawberries will now be sending out lots of new runners. Peg these into the ground near the ‘mother’ plants or into pots of compost, to create new plants. They will need to be watered regularly especially if in pots.

- Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep seed beds, particularly, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root].

- As soon as they are big enough to handle, thin carrots and parsnips – dispose of carrot thinnings carefully to avoid attracting carrot fly.

- Keep fruit cages tidy and weeded – for particularly vulnerable bushes like redcurrants and gooseberries, ensure the cages are secure although do allow an escape hole for those intrepid birds which find a way in, in case of predators – cats and foxes will force a way in to catch trapped birds.

- Pruning of Plum and cherry trees should be done when the plant is in full growth and not when dormant, to avoid Silver Leaf – early July is considered by many to be the best time. On the allotment it is important to keep the size of the trees [height and spread] under control, not just for your own use but, also to avoid them overhanging neighbours’ plots or blocking neighbours’ light. Whatever the shape you choose, aim to keep the tree open, cutting out crossing stems or any branches or stems which are diseased. Cut out any new stems which are growing from the root stock.

·         Preparation and planning

- re-dig beds as soon as crops are harvested, to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out. Many brassica crops will now finish harvesting - cauliflowers [Romanescu and all Year Round]. Onions, shallots and garlic which have been grown from sets in autumn should now be available to harvest. Overwintered onions don’t keep well so, use  up before harvesting and eating the spring grown crops.

·         Sowing and planting

You can still sow – French beans [some varieties are better sown a bit later. Read the instructions from the seed supplier], beetroot [although you may have sown earlier in the season, if you like this crop you can continue to sow until August]:-

-      Some brassicas can be sown outdoors and can be transplanted from pots or seedbeds – broccoli/calabrese, spring cabbage for next year, winter-cabbage can still be planted out, kale can be sown outdoors and planted out until the end of July;

-      Of course, carrots can be sown until the end of August, if you have suitable conditions although, I have found that I have had more success with earlier sown carrots;

-      Florence Fennel – a wonderful vegetable whose fresh aniseed flavour is such a wonderful addition to salads – sow from May until July outdoors;

-      Leeks can be transplanted as soon as the ground can be prepared. If it is very dry, water it well beforehand;

-      Spinach and Swiss Chard can still be sown;

-      Salad crops – lettuce, radishes, rocket, spring onions, can all be sown outdoors;

-      Turnips can be sown until the end of August for harvesting into winter.

 

·         Harvesting –

Second-Early and Early-Maincrop potatoes should now be ready for harvesting.

Globe artichokes are now coming into their main harvesting season.

Early sowings of peas – if sown under a cloche should start to provide a crop in now.

Some varieties of cauliflower and broccoli will be developing wonderful heads, usually all together. When you see them beginning to ‘head-up’ give them lots of water to encourage larger curds. Once ready they will not ‘sit’ well in the ground. Harvest them as soon as they are ready and store the whole plant, hung upside down in a shed or store the curds in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Over wintered onions and garlic will now finish its growth – look out for yellowing leaves and some withering. In onions, the leaves will fold over. Lift them and set them on the ground, in dry weather or on a rack, to allow them to dry out before storing in a cool dry place.

Young turnips, sown under cover in early spring should now be available for harvesting.

Continue to harvest rhubarb.

Soft fruit - redcurrants, blackcurrants and white currants as well as gooseberries, early varieties of raspberry and strawberries should now be ripening. Keep them protected from birds – they do seem to love redcurrants and gooseberries particularly. If you have lots of fruit, make sure you have containers for freezing and lots of jam-pots ready for preserving. If you still have produce in your freezer from last year, now is the time to use it up so that you have space for the new crops.

Herbs to Repel Insect Pests

Herbs to Discourage Insects

I have been whinging on for some years now, about the red ants in my poly-tunnel, the damage they cause and the seeming impossibility of eradicating them.

Baited ant traps were useless ‘be sure to put them on the paths that the ants take’ the directions advised. It seems the ants are attracted to the bait, taking it back to the nest where it annihilates all members of the colony. I followed all the instructions carefully - the ants built their nests under the ant traps and the colonies grew stronger.

I used Py solution – a pyrethrin based insecticide [and therefore organic]. This was okay although I had to dig up the nests and make sure the solution made contact with every ant – time consuming and not totally effective.

A friend advised me to use Eraza Ant Killing Solution [not organic – I was getting desperate!]. Well it also only worked on direct contact with the ants and where I used it inside [the poly-tunnel] it affected my breathing most unpleasantly.

I have just finished harvesting my lavender – a wonderful crop this year – and I actually managed to harvest it at the right time and in the best conditions for saving and using. I have bundles of it hanging in every room in my house for drying but, also to keep flies away, usually quite a pest in our rare warm, dry summers and this summer is definitely dry. Lavender is definitely one of my favourite herbs and though it can be used in cooking, I don’t. I use it for sleep cushions [it is so relaxing], in my wardrobes, cupboards and drawers to deter moths but it is also useful, especially in summer months when windows and doors are open, for repelling mosquitoes, moths and midges as well as flies. It has a reputation also, of helping to keep fleas off cats and dogs though, I’m not sure it would deter the very determined species I have in my area nor could I see my cats sitting happily while I rubbed lavender oil into their fur.

As I was preparing the lavender I wondered how other herbs might be used to discourage ants from my poly-tunnel or even from my allotment – a big ask!

Interestingly, cedar is really excellent for deterring moths. Clothes or household linens, stored in cedar cupboards or chests are most unlikely to be attacked by moths. If, like me, you would find the cedar furniture rather too expensive, it is possible to buy blocks of cedar wood to hang in cupboards. When the strong cedar resin aroma has faded, sand off the outside of the block to revive it for another few months.

Bay – laurus nobilis. I planted a small bay tree in a pot in my garden some years ago thinking that, as it was an expensive tree, I would be able to take it with me if I moved house. It is now 6 feet high and a significant shrub. It’s still in its pot but, I suspect, it has rooted through the bottom of the pot into the ground beneath. It is much too healthy looking to be a pot-grown bush. [I had a similar issue with a giant redwood tree –sequoia gigantium - given to me as a present some years ago as a 10in high sapling. I knew better than to plant it in my garden so I put it into a fairly substantial pot. However, a few years on it had grown 20ft high and was much too happy to be surviving in just a pot. I had to cut it down but, still haven’t managed to release the pot from the considerable root system underneath.]

Bunches of bay, fresh or dried will deter moths, cockroaches and flies. Try scattering the leaves in drawers and cupboard shelves.

Basil – excellent for keeping flies and mosquitoes away. Unfortunately, in the UK, this is not an outdoor plant and is not too happy indoors during the winter. While I do grow my own during the spring and summer months, for the rest of the year I will buy the pots from the supermarket. Pots of fresh bay are not only an essential culinary ingredient but are an excellent insect repellent.

Mint – now this herb would definitely keep ants out of my poly-tunnel if I planted it in there. Unfortunately, it would take over in one short season. I had started growing mint in my garden in an old Belfast sink but I found that I had to replant every year as it became pot bound quite quickly. I took a couple of small roots to my allotment where it quickly colonised an extensive area in that part of the allotment I had set aside for fruit trees and herbs. It is a magnificent display each year but requires assertive, if not aggressive weeding out each year to keep it under control and away from my fruit trees. However, while there are ants nests on all other parts of my allotment, there are none in that area. I might consider pots of mint placed on the path of the poly-tunnel for next year.

There are very many varieties of mint and while I have tried a few of them I now grow just spearmint and apple mint both of which would be among the Classic mint group. Mint is useful for discouraging flies, fleas, mice, ants and mosquitoes.

Rosemary – every home should have some and although I don’t use a huge amount in cooking, it is not a herb I can do without in my kitchen and as it is available all year round it is useful to have a pot or two outside the kitchen door.

Rosemary can grow into quite large shrubs or even hedges and is wonderfully aromatic when you brush against it. I have always grown mine in large tubs and my favourite is the prostrate variety which hangs down over the edges of a large ornamental tub in my back yard.

Three or four years ago I took cuttings from my quite ancient prostrate rosemary and the other one I was growing a Tuscan Blue. I planted a couple of new little bushes from these cuttings in my neighbour’s garden and the rest in pots for my own use. We had a particularly harsh winter that year and I lost all of my rosemary plants, including the really old one in the tub. The frost had been so hard it had frozen right through to the roots of the potted plants. My neighbour’s – planted straight into the garden - had survived. I thought I would have no trouble replacing what is, after all, a fairly common herb but garden centres and several nurseries had also lost their stocks of rosemary in the same way.

Rosemary has a reputation of keeping mosquitoes and cats away. However, I have four cats and while I certainly don’t see them lazing under the rosemary pots, nor does it keep them out of my yard.

While I don’t grow Tansy as I have no culinary use for it – the leaves are very bitter. It is an old deterrent to ants, mice, moths and animal fleas.

Currants - black, red and white

Growing Currants – ribes nigrum [blackcurrants] , ribes rubrum – [red and whitecurrants]

Currants – one of our most prolific and useful of the summer crops includes the most popular blackcurrant, redcurrant and whitecurrant.

When I first took over my plot I inherited several blackcurrant bushes, a redcurrant bush and a gooseberry bush. In spite of my best efforts with feeding, weeding, pruning, mulching – the blackcurrants continues to provide heavy crops of tiny fruits – a pain to harvest and unpleasant to eat. I eventually decided that there was no reason to hang on to effectively unproductive bushes. I replaced them with bushes which are now providing me with fruits which are almost grape-sized and delicious

Sowing and Growing

Currant bushes are best planted as bare-root bushes when they are dormant – between October and April though, in milder parts of the country they may not have gone into their dormant time by October and may have started to grow by April. Don’t consider planting when the ground is frozen.

Buy from an experienced provider who will supply you with certified stock.

You can also buy container-grown bushes which can, technically, be planted at any time of the year though, avoid planting when the ground is very wet or extremely dry during drought conditions or when they are cropping.

The plants are fairly tolerant of the type of soil but, prefer free draining, fertile slightly acid ground in a sunny sheltered position. Although it is tempting to plant new small bushes quite closely together to ‘pack-in’ as many as possible, remember as the bushes grow they will spread out. Allow, at least, 1 - 1½ metres between the bushes.

Prepare the ground well beforehand – clear all perennial weeds, including their roots. Dig in lots of manure/compost to the site several weeks before planting. Dig a hole at least twice that of the root ball or the bare roots when spread out. Fill in the hole with a mixture of well rotted manure and compost and the indigenous soil. Water well when planted. If planting bare root bushes, it is a good idea to [unpackage them immediately, if bought from a supplier on line], soak the roots in water for an hour before planting and ‘heel’ in well once planted.

Pot grown shrubs can, theoretically, be planted at any time though, most good suppliers won’t sell them when inappropriate. If you are planting from container grown – dig a hole at least twice that of the root ball [see above], tease out the roots from the rootball especially if the plant is ‘pot bound’ [the roots have taken up the whole of the pot space available and have twined round upon themselves forming a tight root ball].

Weed around the bushes by hand. If you use a hoe you run the risk of gashing the stem, allowing diseases into the plants. Mulch well around the plants in the autumn.

Once you have established bushes, you can increase your stock by taking hardwood cuttings from your own bushes in autumn – only take cuttings from healthy strong bushes.

Prune your bushes during the dormant season from October to March. Cut out old wood from the bushes and any diseased or weak stems – remember that blackcurrants fruit on new seasons stems but both redcurrants and whitecurrants fruit on old wood. If you remove all of the old wood on these bushes you will have no crop in the following year. Every few years it is a good idea to remove about a third of the old branches to encourage new growth. In pruning, try to encourage the bush to be compact but open, to allow the light into the bush and for ease of harvesting. Both redcurrants and whitecurrants can be grown as cordons if you are short of space.

Types and Varieties

The usual seed and plant providers will only give a limited range of fruit bushes. For blackcurrants the most popular are Ebony and Ben Connan.

For whitecurrants, you are likely to be offered Blanco and for Redcurrants Rovada seems to be the winner These are all good varieties and have been chosen for their popularity and reliability. In particular blackcurrant Ebony is an excellent dessert fruit and is sweet enough to eat straight from the bush.

However, you may be looking for something specific – disease resistance, bushes which will crop at different times of the season to extent the harvest, heavy cropping for preserves, juicy fruits for making juice.

It is better to try specialist growers for these different qualities.

Chris Bowers & Sons – www.chrisbowers.co.uk

Ken Muir – www.kenmuir.co.uk

Welsh Fruit Stocks – www.welshfruitstocks.co.uk

Pomona Fruits – www.pomonafruits.co.uk

Deacon’s Nursery – www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk

Harvesting and Storing

Currants make the most wonderful, flavoursome and versatile jams and jellies which can be inspirational in both sweet and savoury contexts.

Like most fruit and vegetables, they are at their best when eaten fresh but, they can be frozen successfully – one of the few allotment products I am happy to preserve and freeze.

Nutritional Value

Excellent source of	Useful amounts	Traces
Blackcurrants A Vitamin C superfood – it contains well more than the RDA of Vit C Redcurrants and whitecurrants Vitamin C	Iron, potassium, manganese Dietary fibre Vitamin K, Dietary fibre, iron, manganese	Vitamins – Vitamin A and E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 Minerals –  magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper Vitamin A and E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate Minerals – potassium calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper
These berries are low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat

Pests and Diseases

Birds  are a major pest with red and white currants and unless they are well protected by netting they will clear all the fruit from the bushes before you will consider it ripe enough to harvest. They can also eat blackcurrants but, I have found that, on our allotments field, they seem to prefer other, easier and sweeter fruit. Except for a bush which is inside my fruit cage anyway, I don’t net my blackcurrant bushes.

Big Bud – on Blackcurrants can be major problem especially on allotments where it can be endemic. Caused by a mite which lives in the leaf buds, the enlarged buds fail to develop. Remove the buds and burn them. If whole branches are infected it will be necessary to remove and destroy the branches. In severe cases, remove the bushes and replace with new stock n a different place. However, if this pest in present on your plot, it will also be present on your neighbours’ bushes and will re-infect your new bushes. Having spent several years trying to eradicate this pest from my bushes I now largely ignore it.

Gooseberry Saw fly – These will attack redcurrant and whitecurrant bushes from mid springtime onwards. The small caterpillars will strip the leaves. If there are only a few, you can remove them by hand – check the underside of the leaves carefully as well as the tops. If you have lots of bushes, the foliage is dense or you have a serious infestation it might be necessary to spray with insecticide before the numbers build up too much. There are several organic pesticides on the market – try Py Solution.