August with a bit of luck, brings us the best of the summer weather but being the traditional holiday month, it can be hard keeping on top of your allotment with a fortnights holiday. Early potatoes should be dug up now, its best to harvest potatoes early in the day rinse them & leave them to dry, in the sunlight for a day to harden the skins before storage.
Vegetables you can still sow in August
Spring cabbage, Spring onions, radish, beetroot, turnips, Spinach, Swiss chard, carrots, Kale for Winter & Spring cropping, parsley, coriander & chervil can be sown in the greenhouse for growing throughout winter. Plant out summer Cauliflowers early this month for an Autumn harvest
Stop tomato plants growing now to encourage fruit to swell, keep side shoots in check, you want tomato’s & don’t want a mass of green foliage. Keep an eye on your brassicas for butterfly eggs & caterpillars. Most of these will be under the leaves in clusters of little yellow/white balls. Pick or wash them off before they develop & dine on your dinner. Turn your compost the warm weather will help break it down, water it if it’s really dry.
Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)
