Chris Collins on…managing pests organically

As spring turns to summer the intense labour of making sure your young plants remain healthy takes over. Watering , removing any competition, and keeping an eye on any potential pests are the key tasks.

This spring has been particularly challenging in the London area as we’ve had barely any rain. This means I’ve held off doing a lot of direct sowing at my allotment. With so little moisture in the soil, it makes sense to apply a little patience. I’m guessing these arid conditions will play a role in how the rest of the season plays out. When you do water, try to do it in the early morning and water deep.   

One huge job for me this month is hardening off all my tender plants. At home, I’m putting them out on the balcony to sunbath and withdrawing them to protect from the cold evenings, which are still noticeable. I’m also transferring crops to my allotment cold frames, where they’re aired during the day but protected at night. This action allows my tender plants to acclimatise to the outdoor conditions, without causing a shock. I’ll look for my final placements near to the end of May when all danger of frost, or the cold easterly wind, has passed.

My balcony also goes through a huge transformation as May progresses. The spring bulbs are removed and transplanted to a more permanent site at the front the property. (I have to say, the build-up of bulbs out there gave a truly outstanding display this year, and it just shows what naturalising bulbs can achieve). Once this is done, I’ll plant up my baskets and pots with a mixture of edibles such as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, mixing these with my homegrown colourful bedding. This area gives me so much pleasure over the summer and is 100% worth the effort.