Gardening in Charlbury July 2011

Tue 26 Jul 2011, 10:45

Wonderful to see Monty Don back on Gardeners' World - Friday evenings. Catch it on i-player if you missed it - it seems to have something for everyone from the basics to new stuff. His vegetable tips are particularly good - and a "what to do this weekend" section at the end. Marvellous stuff. Summer pruning apple trees this week.

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 17:21

So, wet cold and windy weather expected over the weekend. Make sure your tall plants and newly planted trees are well staked. Trees when their leaves are on are of course more susceptible than in winter when the branches are bare. Better check my runner bean poles as well. And I will dig up some potatoes today whilst it's still pleasant enough to go out!

Fri 15 Jul 2011, 08:00

Re potatoes - if they are new-ish I always think they don't quite taste the same if they've been out of the ground for a while - so I try and keep them in as long as possible. But as John says it's a risk from slug damage. For maincrop potatoes, one old gardener round here told me that to store them for the winter you should cut the tops off and leave them for a few days before lifting. Hardens the skins for storing he reckoned.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 11:17

Nicola -- maybe it needs watering and feeding? You say it's a young tree, so after the setback of the freeze and the drought it probably hasn't got much resources. I remember a college watering an ailing tree with a tanker full of (dilute) Baby Bio! The abundant fruit may be a desperate attempt to multiply before it dies, rather than an inherently good sign.

Thu 14 Jul 2011, 07:09

@Stephen. Once the tops have stopped growing, it's better to lift your potatoes. This avoids possible blight contamination and slug attack in wet weather. Store in the dark in paper sacks. It also means you could plant out a crop of leeks where the potatoes were or sow a green-manure crop like winter tares to dig in in the spring.

Wed 13 Jul 2011, 09:51

Concerning potatoes, is it worth leaving them in the ground longer if they are going to be stored, rather than eaten now or doesn't it matter?

Mon 11 Jul 2011, 22:42

Thanks for the advice about the cauliflower, had it for tea tonight and it was lovely!

Mon 11 Jul 2011, 22:10

Can someone advise me what could be wrong with my young plum tree? It has a lot of fruit, but suddenly the leaves are going yellow and sick and some of the fruits are dropping. I also have a pear tree that appears to have rust - is there a cure and will it spread? I can't seem to find out.

Sat 9 Jul 2011, 13:23

I think it's ready to eat. If you leave it, it will run to flower.

Fri 8 Jul 2011, 08:08

I am growing cauliflower for the first time this year and have one that is about the size of a tennis ball, should I cut it now or will it get bigger if I leave it?

Wed 6 Jul 2011, 15:25

Some welcome rain. Too late for the peas and broad beans although others have had some success this year. Potatoes now ready for picking although they haven't flowered yet. I always thought you had to wait until they flowered before picking, but they're fine.
Roses have been good but everyone else tells me they have been early this year. Mine have been late! But good lettuces and spring cabbage(Hispi) from Hilltop. The brassicas need covering now to protect from the Cabbage Whites. If you look under the leaves you'll see clusters of very pretty yellow eggs - squash them or they'll shred your brussel sprouts to ribbons if you let them hatch.