Here's what you should be doing and when. Strawberries Peg down runners from new plants into the soil or pots of compost to root. Shear off the foliage just above the crown of each plant and clear away any debris. Apples Finish summer pruning the sideshoots on trained apple trees. In July prune back the main shoots and sideshoots to five leaves, especially on cordon-trained varieties.
Raspberries Pick the last crops, then prune the stems of summer varieties down to soil level.
Courgettes Regularly pick small and tender courgettes, carefully cutting them off at the base with a sharp knife. 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.