Fiann’s tips for the weekend

* This is the month of earnest lifting, but when it comes to harvesting those praties take care to lift all the tubers even the smallest ones, along with the fork-pierced or spade-split ones too. 

The trouble is that any tubers left in the ground may just sprout next year and ruin, not just the aesthetics of your crop rotation, but also negate the crop-health benefits of a rotation system by being a potential reservoir for pest, disease and even potato blight spores.

The trick is to harvest away and then fork over again a few days later to turn up any you may have missed.

* Summer prune fruit trees to shape and spur development, with fans, espaliers and stepovers.

* Take side shoots back to three to four leaves to form next year’s fruiting spurs.

* Address ventilation and shading under glass.

* Provide extra support to heavily laden fruiting plants.

* Turn your compost for an even breakdown, add a little moisture to keep it cooking.

* Harvest herbs to dry for winter use.

* Take herb cuttings to propagate.