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Like tomatoes, aubergines are members of the solanum, or potato family. Aubergines must be sown early (February to March) and kept in a warm, sheltered spot to ensure a good crop. Although they can be grown outside in milder areas of the country
, and I'm looking forward to several more over the next few weeks.There are many ways to keep fruiting crops (beans, peas, tomatoes, chillies) productive. The obvious one is to keep feeding them. These plants need extra nutrients once they've finished
Queen' and 'Mayan Twilight'Bush tomatoes are easier to grow than cordon varieties, as they don't need supporting, and their side shoots do not require pricking out. 'Maskotka' is a compact trailing bush variety, which can be grown in a small container
greenhouse and a cold frame, I’ll make early sowings and be virtually self-sufficient (at least in summer). I’ll be incredibly organised - as soon as I harvest one crop, another will be ready to plant in its place.I’ll sow several varieties of tomato - some
, or thiacloprid.virtually anything from tomatoes to honeysuckleearly spring to autumnDealing with other garden pestsWoolly aphidsWhiteflyPear leaf blister miteLeafhopper
Finish planting out vegetable crops, including tomatoes, beans, courgettes and sweetcornSow summer salads in guttering to grow quick cropsUse netting to protect developing and ripening fruits from birdsTie in new shoots on blackberries, raspberries
Spray potatoes and outdoor tomatoes with Bordeaux mixture or similar to prevent blightThin heavy crops of apples, pears and plumsTie in new raspberry canes to support wiresCover brassicas with fine netting to prevent cabbage white butterflies laying
mildewLift early potatoesPick mangetout peas and beansSpray gooseberries to prevent sawfly attackSow an autumn crop of peas before mid-JulyTie in new growth on cordon-trained tomatoes and pinch out sideshoots. Bush varieties can be left to scramble over
tomatoes with Bordeaux mixture to prevent blightThin heavy fruit crops, picking off the smallest. Aim to leave developing fruits about 10-15cm apart along the stems, perhaps thinning congested spurs down to just a single fruitSow seed of herbs now
the crawling female winter mothCut off whole trusses of unripe fruits from outdoor tomatoes before they're hit by frost and ripen in a sheltered spotPlant out spring cabbagesDig up onions and lay them out in an airy space to dry before storing
