Allotment jobs for June

Here are some key allotment jobs for June: 

There are lots of crops that are best to plant in June, including cruciferous veg like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbages, as well as squashes, outdoor tomatoes and cucumbers.

Keep sowing beetroot, radishes and lettuce throughout the season for multiple harvests spread across a few weeks. Leafy salad crops thrive best when sown in partially shaded areas as too much dry heat can lead to bitter leaves.

Protect your vegetable crops from bugs using insect-proof mesh, taking particular care to cover your carrots against carrot fly.

Mulch around your baby strawberries with barley straw to suppress weeds and keep the fruit from lying on the ground. If you don’t have access to straw, polyurethane sheeting works just fine. Take care to cover your fruit plants with netting to fend off hungry birds.

Once tomatoes start to form, begin feeding them with a good quality, high potash tomato food. Using grow bags guarantees great soil conditions and helps avoids disease. Now is also a great time to start treating your tomato plants against blight: remove any affected leaves and mulch the base of the plants to deter fungal spores.

A good soak goes a long way in the summer. Prioritise recently planted crops and watery fruits, like cucumbers and tomatoes.

Enjoy your hard-earned harvest as produce ripens in the summer warmth, including berries, salads, peas, beetroot and radishes. 

It is important to keep on top of weeds all year round. This month, simply hoe between rows and let the weed seedlings dry out in the sun.