Gardening with Pat Duke: Keep your tomatoes looking tip-top

In the Garden 

It’s that gentle pause between midsummer’s riot and the slow slide into August – and the garden’s in that fine place where a bit of attention now pays dividends come September. With the nights still warm but the days just starting to hint at shortening, now’s the time to tidy, tweak, and take a moment to enjoy the fruits (and flowers!) of our labours.

Deadheading is still top of the list – roses, dahlias, and cosmos are particularly grateful for a regular trim. Keep snipping and they’ll keep blooming. Try it first thing in the morning when everything’s crisp and cool – it’s more pleasant for both you and the plants.

If you haven’t already, give those perennials a light haircut – especially those that have started to flop or fade. A gentle trim can prompt a second flush of flowers in things like hardy geraniums and salvias. And don’t be shy with the secateurs – a brave cut often reaps a better reward. 

Keep an eye on containers too – they’re thirsty and hungry just now. A fortnightly feed with a tomato fertiliser perks them up no end. And do watch for vine weevils if your pots are looking suspiciously limp despite watering – those nibbling underminers are busy below the surface, chewing at roots.

Lawns may be going a bit brown with the recent dry weather – resist the urge to water. Let nature take its course. They always come back with a flash go green immediately after rain. 

And finally – lavender. If yours has gone woody, this is your moment to take cuttings or give it a smart trim just after flowering. Don’t cut back into old wood, but do give it a neat, rounded shape – a gentle hint of topiary never goes amiss in a Devon garden

On the Plot 

It’s  high summer chaos down on the veg plot, with crops coming thick and fast and weeds trying their best to keep up. The key this week is harvest, water, and prepare – a rhythm that keeps everything ticking along as we move into the back half of the season.

First up – harvest little and often. Courgettes are the classic example – blink and they become marrows! Pick when they’re young and tender, and you’ll encourage the plant to keep producing. French and runner beans benefit from the same regular attention. Keep your snips in one hand and a trug in the other.

Tomatoes need a bit of love now – especially those grown under cover. Water consistently to avoid splitting, and feed weekly with a high-potash feed. Pinch out sideshoots if you haven’t already, and remove some of the lower leaves to improve airflow and reduce the risk of blight. Keep the doors closed on breezy days. If blight strikes, it’s heartbreaking and demoralising so do your best to keep it at bay. 

Carrots, beetroot and salad leaves can still be sown if you have gaps – choose fast-growing varieties and water well after sowing. Keep the soil moist to help them germinate in the heat. And if you’ve got space opening up after potatoes or early peas, think ahead to autumn and winter. Now’s a great time to sow purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, and kale.

Keep an eye on brassicas – Cabbage Whites are laying now, and caterpillars can devastate a crop overnight. A reuseable mesh net is your best defence. Check undersides of leaves and smudge any tiny clusters of yellow eggs.

And as ever – mulch where you can. Whether it’s grass clippings, well-rotted manure, or spent compost, keeping the soil shaded and moist makes everything happier. Your veg will thank you – and so will your back when watering in the evening sun.

Happy gardening – and don’t forget to sit down regularly and often in the sunshine with a mug of tea in the shade. It’s as important to assess things and take time to give yourself some credit. You’ve earned it