1 Vegetables – check out the young vegetable plants at your local garden centre if you have forgotten to sow your own – autumn cabbages, cauliflowers, sprouting broccoli and curly kale can all be planted over the coming weeks to keep you in high iron, high fibre greens over the autumn and winter periods. You can still plant out Leeks, and although they may not reach show standards before the autumn, they will be excellent for soups and stews in winter. Keep an eye open in garden centres for overwintering varieties of broad beans and peas in readiness for sowing later on. Sow some more radish, lettuce and rocket to keep your family supplied with fresh salads.

2 Fruit – continue to reduce longer new shoots on plums and peaches to three or four buds and consider supporting branches that are heavily laden with fruits. Finish pruning out fruited canes on early season raspberries and loganberries and tie in strong new canes for next year, removing any weak canes as you do so. Thin grape bunches out now and prune back excessive growths to five or six leaves to allow light and air in for ripening. Prune out one third of the older growth on blackcurrants after harvesting. To search out an available allotment for you and your family, visit www.kirklees.gov.uk and search the alphabetical lists for Allotments, or contact Malcolm Peaker, Secretary of the Huddersfield Allotments and Gardens Federation on 01484 653282. Remember that Kirklees Council have spent £1 million on these allotments in a three year programme of refurbishment and development.