Wear gloves if your hands are particularly sensitive to their prickly leaves and stalks. Runner beans Pinch out the tips of any climbing shoots when they reach the top of their supports. Leeks Transplant leeks from their seed-bed when their stalks are about the thickness of a pencil. Potatoes Hot and humid conditions can encourage a rapid spread of potato blight, so consider spraying the crops with a fungicide such as copper oxychloride to prevent an attack. Watering Concentrate watering on crops in flower and those carrying fruits or pods, such as runner beans, and on moisture-lovers, such as celery.
Extra water given to potatoes can also boost yields.
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