Safely gathered in

We haven’t really had a summer, yet it’s time to start harvesting crops – if there are any worth harvesting.

The one thing which seems to have taken this year’s weather in its stride are the greenhouse-grown tomatoes, and I’m now feeding them regularly with Liquid Tomorite.

This concentrated plant food is rich in the major nutrients and awash with trace elements and magnesium to encourage strong plant growth and big, tasty tomatoes.

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The runner beans suffered in late July, so the crop is just a shadow of what I expected. Nevertheless, those that have survived are getting a high nitrogen food applied over the leaves and around the roots to ensure they continue producing crops until the first frost. They’re also getting plenty of water.

A bit nearer ground level and it’s almost time to lift onions, garlic and shallots to dry off thoroughly for a week or so before storing under cover.

There’s still time to sow seeds of leafy salad crops, including lettuce, land cress, mizuna and other curly leaves. Loose-leaf lettuce varieties such as Salad Bowl, Oak-leaf, Lolla Rossa and Lolla Bionda are all worth growing, especially if we are blessed with a late spell of warm weather.

Alternatively, pop a few seeds into a six-inch plant pot; when they germinate, just pull off a few when you need them.

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Plant out winter cabbage and Brussels sprout plants where they are to crop. If pigeons are a problem, cover the plants immediately with netting.

During the next few weeks, keep an eye on the developing brassicas to see if cabbage white butterfly is using them to lay their eggs. If you spot yellow eggs on the underside of the foliage, they can be rubbed off with a gloved finger. Alternatively, spray them with a proprietary insecticide.

Keep transplanting young leeks to their final cropping position. Ensure the soil is moist and enriched with a general plant food. Make deep planting holes with a dibber and drop the roots of one seedling into position. A good watering should see them happy in their new homes.