In The Vegetable Garden This July

Pepper plants will benefit from being potted into progressively larger pots.

If you’re growing aubergines, pinch out the growing tip once they have 5 or 6 fruits. Pick fruits while they are young. You can expect to start harvesting mid to late summer.

Boost your tomato crop by regularly feeding plants with dilute tomato fertiliser once a week. If leaves look pale and yellow, feed more regualrly.

Nip off the growing tips of squash and courgette plants to encourage branching.

Apply a high-potash fertiliser once fruits start to form on peppers, cucumber and tomatoes.

Harvest garlic when the tops start to bend over and yellow.

Pick runner beans regularly to prevent them becoming stringy and to make room for developing pods. Leaving mature pods on the plant can prevent further flowers forming and reduce your crop.

Harvest beetroot, peas, carrots, chard, potatoes, salad leaves, lettuce and tomatoes this month.

Check for cabbage white butterfly eggs under brassica leaves and squash any that you find.

Pinch out tomato side shoots each week. Cut off any leaves growing below the lowest ripening fruit trusses to improve air circulation and prevent diseases.

Pick your courgettes while they’re young. Regular picking encourages more fruit.

Pick, dry and freeze herbs for using later in the year.

Top Tip:

Train cucumber stems upwards to make the most of the space available. Simply tie in their long stems to verticle wires or use cane supports to create a wigwam of poles.