Overview

• Fruit-laden apple and pear branches should be braced with wooden supports this month to prevent breakage and crop loss.
• Targeted cuts on roses, cherry and walnut trees and hedges should be completed before September to shape growth, boost next season’s fruit production and comply with the March–September pruning ban.
• Pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers and other fruit vegetables require daily morning watering at the root zone to avoid drought stress and leaf sunburn.
• Lawns benefit from a light application of long-term fertilizer, weekly mowing and patch seeding to maintain resilience during heat and dry spells.
• Young strawberry plants can be set out in weed-free beds that have remained strawberry-free for at least three years to optimize soil health for next summer’s harvest.