Cut out old raspberry stems (canes) that have fruited. Stake or wire young canes, removing any weak, spindly or misshapen ones. Six to nine canes a plant is a reasonable number to supply next summer’s crop. A mulch of straw, grass clippings or compost helps retain soil moisture and provides humus.
Because they fruit next year on growth made this season, blackcurrants can have all old wood removed once fruiting has finished. Prunings can be used to propagate new plants.
Tomatoes grown in a glasshouse or tunnelhouse should have any yellow or dead leaves removed. Pinch out laterals (young shoots at leaf joints) of bush (determinate) types, ensure all tomato plants have plenty of ventilation and reduce watering as fruits begin to ripen.
Vegetables
Onion seed sown this month will withstand the winter, then mature into good-sized bulbs for harvesting next summer. Prepare soil with wood ash (if you can get it), lime and some garden compost, or a general garden fertiliser. Space cleared of early potatoes or peas is ideal for growing onions.
Second-crop potatoes, such as Maris Anchor, may be lifted now.
Flowers
Early-flowering herbaceous plants such as delphiniums and lupins should be trimmed now. Doing it immediately after flowering will encourage some plants to flower again in a few weeks. Roses, dahlias and sweet peas can also be encouraged to flower longer by regularly removing faded blooms.
Dahlias benefit from liquid manure as well as conventional watering. Horse, cow, sheep or poultry manure —a third of a 10-litre bucket of manure topped up with water — is fermented for two or three weeks, then diluted to the colour of pale tea and watered on to the ground around the plants. Green material can also be used. Comfrey makes the best green mix, as it is high in nitrogen and potash, but any green weeds and lawn clippings can be used.
