July is a busy time on the allotment with plants really starting to take off, not to mention those pesky weeds!!
What to sow
Turnips, oriental vegetables, plant out leeks, chicory, fennel, autumn/winter salads, beetroot, peas, radishes and spring onions and carrots, keep an eye out for carrot root fly, especially when thinning.
Plant out sprouting broccoli and brassicas..
This is the last chance to sow Runner and French beans for a late autumn crop
Harvesting
Courgettes, blueberries, cherries, shallots, runner beans, beetroot, carrots, peas, broad beans. In the greenhouse/ploytunnel, cucumbers and chillies, possibly tomatoes.
Jobs to do
If you fancy some lovely potatoes in time for Christmas now is the time to plant them. Plant in pots or bags which can be brought under cover before the first frosts.
Chillies, peppers and aubergines grown in pots benefit from being potted on now and those grown in the green house or polytunnel may require staking. For aubergines pinch out the growing tip once they have 5 or 6 fruits
Continue to pinch out the side shoots on tomatoes and remove any leaves growing below the lowest trusses or any that may show signs of disease. Give them a feed with a good tomato fertilizer once a week or more regularly if they have yellowing leaves.
Harvest garlic when the tops bend over and are yellow.
Pick courgettes whilst the are young and tender as this encourages the formation of more fruits. (Nipping off the tip encourages branching) Marrows along with squashes and pumpkins will reach a good size by Autumn, let the skins dry and harden in the sun before harvesting in late September/October and storing them in a cool dry place.
Picking runner beans regularly helps prevent them from becoming stringy and allows more pods to develop.
Check for cabbage white butterfly eggs under the leaves of your brassicas (they will find them) keep them covered with a fine netting.
Feed crops with a general purpose fertilizer.
Continue to train cucumbers, tying in stems to a wigwam of poles or wires
Clear weeds regularly, as they compete with your crops for nutrients and water.