August is a month of transition, it is the midpoint between summer and autumn, the days get noticeably shorter and leaves will start to drop. This is a month of change in the allotment too where most of your work will be prep for winter and next years planting.
Harvesting
Aubergine
Curly kale
Beetroot
Cabbages
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Courgettes and marrows
Cucumber
French beans
Globe Artichoke
Kohl Rabi
Onion
Pepper
Potato
Radish
Runner beans
Salad leaves and lettuces
Spinach
Spring Onion
Swede
Sweetcorn
Swiss chard
Tomato
Turnip
Sowing
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chickory
Endives
Japanese onions
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
lettuces
Spinach
Spring cabbage
Spring onions
Sprouting Broccoli
Swiss chard
Turnips
Winter radish
Planting
Cauliflower
Leeks
Marrow
Overwintering cabbages
Pumpkin
Squashes
General Jobs
If you’re growing aubergines pinch out the growing tip once they have 5 or 6 fruits
Cut back herbs to encourage a new flush of leaves that you can harvest before the frost
Aphids – spraying your brassicas with diluted washing up liquid will deter them from landing on your crops. You can buy insecticides if you prefer, including a fatty acid soap to spray on the plants.
Carrot fly – a particular problem between May and September when female flies lay their eggs the best defence to cover plants with horticultural fleece or place two-foot-high barriers around the plants.
Cabbage root fly– attacking the roots of brassicas, these flies can cause a lot of damage to your plants. Female flies lay the eggs on the surface of the soil next to the stem of the plant. Place a piece of carpet (or cardboard or fleece) around the base of the plant to create a collar, this will stop the flies from laying their eggs on the soil.
July is the first month of the year where you get a really bountiful harvest. Loads of fruit and veg are ready to harvest this month, and there’s even more ready to be planted. Here is our at a glance guide to your allotment this month.
Harvesting
Aubergines
Beetroot
Broad beans
Broccoli
Carrots
Chillies and peppers
Courgettes
Florence fennel
French beans
Garlic
Globe artichokes
Kohl rabi
Leaf beet
Marrows
Onions
Oriental mustards
Peas
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Runner beans
Shallots
Spinach
Turnips
Celery
Chicory
Cucumbers
Lettuces
Radishes
Rocket
Salad leaves
Spring onions
Sowing
Peas
Cabbage
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Last Beetroot
Planting
Spinach
Leeks
Kale
Cauliflower
Sprouting Broccoli
Endives
Chickory
Spring onions
General Jobs
Weed regularly
Mulch to conserve moisture
Feed tomatoes and peppers
Net against birds
Pinch out tomato shoots
Pests and Diseases
Aphids – spraying your brassicas with diluted washing up liquid will deter them from landing on your crops. You can buy insecticides if you prefer, including a fatty acid soap to spray on the plants.
Carrot fly – a particular problem between May and September when female flies lay their eggs the best defence to cover plants with horticultural fleece or place two-foot high barriers around the plants.
Cabbage root fly– attacking the roots of brassicas, these flies can cause a lot of damage to your plants. Female flies lay the eggs on the surface of the soil next to the stem of the plant. Place a piece of carpet (or cardboard or fleece) around the base of the plant to create a collar, this will stop the flies from laying their eggs on the soil.
June is an important month for the allotment or home grower – the risk of frost is now gone and the days are getting longer and hotter, meaning now is peak growing season for a lot of plants and seedlings. Here’s what’s going on this month:
Harvesting
You will be able to lift your early potatoes towards the end of the month and start harvesting soft fruits as soon as they have ripened. It’s also time to start harvesting
Beetroot
Broad beans
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Early peas
Lettuce
Rhubarb
spring onions
Radish
Spinach
Sowing and Planting
Now is the time to start sowing seeds for:
Brussels sprouts
Cabbages
Cauliflowers
Celeriac
Courgettes
Outdoor cucumbers
French and runner beans
Leeks
Pumpkins
Sweetcorn
Remember that all plants are different, so always follow the instructions on the packet. Outdoor tomatoes can now be planted into their final position, and you can start successional sowings of :
Beetroot
Kohl rabi
Lettuce
Winter cabbage
General
Feed Tomatoes
Protect Fruit
Hoe Weeds
Train in climbing beans
Put in supports for peas.
Top dress Asparagus them with soil or fertilizer ready for next year
Keep plants growing under glass well watered
Pests and Diseases
Aphids – spraying your brassicas with diluted washing up liquid will deter them from landing on your crops. You can buy insecticides if you prefer, including a fatty acid soap to spray on the plants.
Carrot fly – a particular problem between May and September when female flies lay their eggs the best defence to cover plants with horticultural fleece or place two-foot high barriers around the plants.
Cabbage root fly– attacking the roots of brassicas, these flies can cause a lot of damage to your plants. Female flies lay the eggs on the surface of the soil next to the stem of the plant. Place a piece of carpet (or cardboard or fleece) around the base of the plant to create a collar, this will stop the flies from laying their eggs on the soil.
Growing your own vegetables can be a highly rewarding pastime. Not only does it produce a fresh supply of delicious, ripe vegetables, but it also reduces the need for plastic-wrapped supermarket produce, protecting the environment, and can be highly beneficial for your mental health. Some may be put off growing their own produce, thinking it’s difficult, expensive, or you need a large garden. However, virtually anyone can grow their own with the right tools, so here’s our guide on how to start a vegetable garden.
Location
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a huge plot of land to grow your own food. If you live in a flat and don’t have your own garden, you can grow herbs or kale in pots on your windowsill, or small vegetable plants in window boxes. For smaller gardens or limited outdoor space, most vegetables can be grown in pots and containers. But if you’re yearning for extra growing space, an allotment could be a great solution, and you’d also get to meet other keen gardeners!
If you are starting your own vegetable plot, the best thing to do is start small so you are not overwhelmed; the maximum size should be 5×3 metres (16×10 feet). Choose a sunny location in a stable environment that isn’t prone to flooding, strong winds, or drying out. It’s also a good idea to plant in an area with soft, loamy soil if you can. A raised bed could be a good option if you have poor soil or difficulty bending down.
However, you don’t have to restrict yourself to planting in a designated vegetable plot. Edibles can look great when combined with ornamental flowers, so if you don’t have the additional space, try adding some brightly coloured lettuces, kale, or berries to your flowerbeds or borders.
What To Grow
Once you’ve marked out where you are going to plant your vegetables, the next step is to decide what to grow. There are tonnes of possibilities so it can be hard to know where to start. A good place to begin is to think about what you would like to eat. Vegetable gardening is meant to be enjoyable, so grow produce you will enjoy eating and use a lot in your cooking.
However, some vegetables are easier to grow than others, so if you’re still struggling on where to begin, here are some suggestions for beginners:
Tomatoes– quick to grow and their fruits can be used in a range of dishes. Bush varieties such as Red Cherry and Tumbling Tom are particularly versatile and don’t require training or side-shooting
Lettuce– grows quickly and can be harvested easily. The plants also take up little space, making them a great choice for smaller gardens. Our Salad Bowl Red & Green Lettuce seeds produce a mix of colours
Green beans– simple to grow and provide a tasty harvest. Choose from broad beans such as Masterpiece Green Longpod or french beans- the dwarf Tendergreenare a low-maintenance
Radishes– a delicious addition to salads or stir-fries, and provide a continuous harvest all summer. French Breakfastare a tried and tested popular variety
Carrots– simple and fun to grow, and make a useful addition to your kitchen. The short roots of the Nantes variety make them easy to grow and quick to crop, and the Flyaway has been bred for carrot fly resistance
Courgettes– these plants are prolific and easy to grow from seeds. The All Green Bush variety produce crops all summer long that can be used as both marrows or baby courgettes
Getting started
Now you’ve got your vegetable patch sorted and chosen your seeds, it’s time for the fun part: growing. Here is how to get started.
Plant and harvest at the right time
Vegetables are typically planted in early spring and harvested in the summer, however each variety is different, so make sure to check the packets and plant at the correct times. If the weather is particularly cold for the season, you may need to keep plants indoors for longer or use a fleece or cloche.
Prepare the soil
Get the soil in tip-top condition before planting anything by removing weeds and large stones and digging in some fertiliser, compost, or well-rotted manure to provide a fertile growing space.
Space your crops properly
Plants spaced too closely together end up competing for sunlight, water, and nutrition and end up failing to grow. Make sure to follow the spacing recommendations on the packet to prevent this from happening.
Water
Growing plants will need regular watering, particularly during warm, dry weather. However, make sure the soil does not become waterlogged.
Pest control
Make sure to protect your plants from being destroyed by unwanted pests. If you do not wish to use a chemical pesticide, there are plenty of alternative methods available, including companion planting, using netting or fleece, or natural sprays
