Fiann’s tips for the weekend

* Be on alert for potato and tomato blight

Particular attention to summer cauliflowers and their easily scorched curds. In the greenhouse the thrifty utilisation of greaseproof paper/kitchen parchment and some water as glue can be enough but you may have to think of a shading wash, if humidity is high enough to unpeel your work.

It’s a hard one but the recommended practice is to remove all fruitlets from apple, pear and plum trees that were planted in the last year – the aim is to allow them to develop roots and a good branch structure. With apples and plum tress more than two years planted, the consensus is to thin back fruits to 3 or 4 per cluster – the aim is to have bigger fruit. The june drop may have done it for you.