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Our horticultural hotshot sets you to work.
Stop cutting asparagus now.Stop cutting asparagus now.
Stop cutting asparagus now.

•Stop cutting asparagus. The stems now need to grow so the ferny leaves can send down nutrients to the roots to encourage next yea’rs crop. Give the plants a feed of blood, fish and bone. Fork this into the soil and water afterwards.

•Sow seeds of calceolaria in the greenhouse – a lovely plant with unusual flowers not often seen these days.

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•Enjoy strawberries from the garden but get into the habit of taking a bucket with you for weeds. Strawberries quickly become smothered in them.

•Keep removing side shoots on tomatoes. Do this regularly. If the bunches of fruits are heavy use twist ties to support the trusses on the canes.

•Spray outdoor tomatoes and potatoes with copper mixture to prevent blight. I get my leg pulled about this because I warn of blight so often, but at least you are reading these articles!

•Start thinning grapes. Wear a hat so your hair does not touch the fruit. Hair spoils the ‘bloom’ on the fruits’ skins.

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•Spray the foliage of fruit trees with plain water in the late evening to prevent an attack of red spider mite.

•Cut back one in three runner bean vines so those cut back will shoot lower on the vines. This will prolong the crop. If there are no flowers on the vines and they are up to the top of the canes, remove half the leaves. Give them just one ounce of sulphate of potash, along every three yards of the row. Gently fork this in and water afterwards. The reason for non-flowering is that too much manure was put into the ground but this little trick will bring in the flowers.

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