ROB'S PLOT SO MUCH TO HARVEST ALREADY!

Rob Smith is starting to enjoy the fruits of his labour with plenty to harvest but at the same time there’s also plenty to sow, and he’s keeping his eye out for pests and diseases

- Rob Smith

July certainly is a challenge for us gardeners. With so much to harvest, sow, plant and pick, it’s diffiult to decide what to do first when you go in the garden. That said, one of my favourite things to do is harvest from the greenhouse in the morning with a cup of tea.

If you started aubergines and tomatoes off early in the year, you should now be seeing the fruits of your labour, with ripening fruits starting to appear everywhere you look. I’ve grown more of the oriental type aubergines this year, the ones which are long and thin like a cucumber, rather than the large traditional types. I find them easier to slice and cook with as they can be thrown into a curry or added to a tray of roast veg. When harvesting, be careful of the spines that some varieties have around the neck of the fruit – they can be really sharp so it’s best to wear gloves or grow a spine-free variety like ‘Galine’.

GREENHOUSE TOMATOES

Tomatoes should be starting to ripen as well this month but be careful you don’t skip on watering or they may suffer from blossom end rot. This is when the plants can’t take up enough calcium from the soil due to lack of watering, resulting in a dark, sunken patch at the end of the tomato. It’s best to remove affected fruit and make sure to consistently water plants to prevent the problem. I grow basil beneath my tomatoes in the same pots, so when harvesting my toms I can grab a handful of basil leaves at the same time. When there is enough growth, I harvest large bunches to make home-made pesto. It’s easy to make and freezes well, plus the smell helps keep pests away.