Fiann’s tips for the weekend

* Traditionally now is the time to give some straw to strawberries.

* Gooseberry sawfly and other munchers can be devastating this month, plan a caterpillar hunt. If you or friends have chickens, then you won’t have to squish - you can gift a meal.

* Peas may need supports. And beans too before laden down and toppled with their fruits.

* Continue to pick yellowing leaves and spent foliage off veg, particularly brassicas and compost them, do not compost diseased material.

* We can be on the lookout for downy mildew - it requires living host tissue so cleanliness and regular removal of yellowing and spent foliage can inhibit outbreaks. Homemade fungicides for downy include milk or a watery solution of baking soda

* You can start a compost heap any time of the year, it is all about layers. Don’t fret too much about percentage ratio, think instead lasagne.

A layer of brown, a layer of green, a layer of brown and then again green. With all the disbudding, sideshoot removal and weeds, you will have a good start if fresh to it this month.