Tackle this
One minute your gooseberry is fine, the next it’s a skeleton. The culprit? The leaf-munching larvae of the gooseberry sawfly. Spot the caterpillars and the eggs, which sit on the underside of the leaves, and remove them, then apply the biological control Nemasys natural fruit and veg protection nematodes for a defence. Come winter, gently dig over the surrounding soil, so that birds – or the frost – can pick off any overwintering sawfly cocoons.
Sow this
Distract yourself from the fact the daylight hours are drawing in by sowing oriental greens such as chinese cabbage and tatsoi. They’re best sown from now until September, so they don’t bolt. Realseeds.co.uk has a fine collection, including red mizuna and yellow pak choi.
Plant this
The foliage of Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ has the scent of blackcurrant. This perennial subshrub has two-tone red-and-white flowers that turn solid red or white in hot weather. It needs full sun and a sheltered spot. Height and spread: 90cm x 60cm. Buy one two-litre potted plant for £9.99 or two for £16.99 (plus £4.95 p&p per order). To order, call 0330 333 6790, quoting ref GU548, or go to our Readers’ Offers page. Dispatched within four to six weeks.
