June

June is a really great month. Allotments are in full swing and you should be seeing the fruits of your labour, the first new potatoes will be ready, lettuce, radish and even strawberries will also be ready to pick.

MAINTENANCE

You would think that most maintenance issues would be over now that the plot is fully planted, unfortunately not! I expect to be spending much time tying in everything from sweet peas to broad beans, in fact anything that requires a cane will need constant attention.

Secondly, if I want to maintain steady and healthy growth then much time and effort will be put into thorough watering, I'll be taking great care to ensure that my precious crops get a proper soaking once a week as a light sprinkle does more harm than good.

My third maintenance issue is to continue with the war on weeds, it seems that every time I stir the soil that a further batch germinate and compete with my plants for goodness and moisture.

Finally, I must keep an eye out for the various bugs, slugs and diseases that can often get out of control at this time of year.

PLANTING

With the late frost on the nights of the 19th & 20th May I delayed planting out my runner beans & sweet corn so they will be going in around the 1st June along with half a dozen dahlias that have been pot grown at home.

SOWING AT HOME

I'm hurriedly sowing some more outside tomatoes, the frost killed my first batch in late May. A second sowing of leeks will be made and if a get the timing right then they will be planted out along with savoy cabbages in the space created by the early potatoes.

FRUIT

My strawberries are looking really healthy, plenty of flower and the first fruits are already forming, I expect to be picking a bumper crop by the 2nd week of the month. I'll be giving them a top dressing of potash along with my usual slug control measures to ensure I get the maximum size of fruit which is not spoilt. The raspberries continue to grow but there is no rush and any work that they need can wait until July.

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