Kitchen Garden Magazine

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Jobs for June

The plot should shift from predominantly bare soil to a sea of lush green this month as early sowings begin to mature and longer term crops develop.
Don’t forget those second sowings to keep every available space as productive as possible – but remember too to take time out to just enjoy the feeling of nature all around you

Fruit in brief

• Hang codling moth traps in apple trees to combat the moths which will be looking for places to lay their eggs this month and next.

• Watch for greenfly on all types of fruit, especially currants and spray as necessary to prevent the spread of viruses.

• Prune back the new growth of gooseberries in late June to remove any mildewed shoots and concentrate your plants’ energies on swelling the fruit. Cut each sideshoot back to four or five leaves.

• Protect strawberry fruit with netting against birds and use your favoured control against slugs and snails (see KG May). Harvest as necessary. Net developing black, white and red currants and blueberries in the same way.

TOP TIPS

•Apply mulches wherever possible to help retain water and deter weeds. Organic mulches such as well-rotted manure and garden compost will be absorbed into the soil over time adding humus.

 

• Plant out flowers for cutting such as dahlias and young chrysanthemums raised from cuttings in the greenhouse. Provide them with supports as they develop.

 

Block-plant sweetcorn

Sweetcorn is a tall-growing crop; it is a good idea therefore to grow it in a spot where it will not shade other sun-lovers – alternatively it is handy for shading those plants which often bolt if they become too hot and dry, such as turnips and swedes. Squashes often benefit from being allowed to trail through the tall stems and some gardeners even allow beans, such as climbing French beans, to use the tall sweetcorn for support.

Sweetcorn is a moisture-loving plant and the squashes and any other plants beneath also benefit from the extra watering the sweetcorn receives.
Sweetcorn is wind pollinated and for this reason is usually planted in blocks rather than rows. Planting about 35cm (14in) apart each way allows a faster-growing catch crop such as lettuce to be grown in between.
Choose a sheltered site which has had plenty of organic matter added in the autumn prior to planting and which is reasonably fertile. If the site is a little windy plants may need staking. Rake in a little general fertiliser before planting and water the plants in well. If you do not intend to plant anything below the sweetcorn, mulch with anything that will help to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

For lots more advice, see this month's issue, available to buy online!

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