This is a busy time on my veg patch. The spring crops are established and the summer ones are finding their feet. The soft fruit plants – raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants – are starting to swell while the self-sown nasturtiums, calendula and poached egg plant are beginning to take up more space. Every day, a harvest awaits. Leaves of punchy rocket and oak-leafed lettuce leaves for a salad with dinner, and rhubarb stems shucked from their crown and stewed for dessert.
Putting in support structures for your plants is a pre-emptive act, a gesture made in the hope that your crops will flourish. So, since their growth is probably gathering pace, don’t wait until your plants become unwieldy before giving them something to lean on as they grow. They’ll be healthier for it, plus it makes harvest easier.
For the climbing plants – beans, cucumbers, squash – structures or trellises made of willow, bamboo canes or hazel are simple to construct and sturdy. I favour the classic tripod – three (or four) sticks pushed into the ground and tied together at the top into a pyramid shape.
A similar structure can work for peas, but add netting or chicken wire, or weave twine around the structure for their more delicate tendrils to grab hold of. I once grew my climbing beans up a discarded rose arch I found and it was as beautiful as any clambering ornamental.
In the tomato bed, stakes can be pushed into the ground an inch away from the indeterminate tomato plants and tied loosely to their stems; they will thicken as they grow upwards. Add more ties as the season progresses so plants can rely on the stake when they bear fruit.
One of my priorities is to encourage the surrounding ecosystem to thrive by welcoming all the buzzing, crawling, singing creatures to join me in the garden.
But another is to ensure there’s a crop to pick – I use bird-proof netting to stop blackbirds eating all my soft fruit as it ripens and to stop pigeons stripping brassicas of their leaves. Insect-proof mesh can be deployed to keep flea beetles from peppering brassicas with holes, but in my experience it’s more effective at preventing carrot root fly from laying eggs and producing the larvae that feed on the roots.
Another horticultural material is shade netting. When growing in direct sun, especially in the heat of summer, lettuce plants have a tendency to bolt, rushing to produce flowers and seeds; this also makes the leaves less palatable. Shade netting can offer some protection and keep plants cropping for longer.
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