I just watched it and nothing made sense, I feel like I just watched a bizarre clusterf*ck of a movie. The characters, character interactions, character relationships, worldbuilding, plot and premise was all messy and confusing. Nothing was well-defined and that would normally be fine in a movie like Spirited Away where the vibes do the heavy lifting, but this movie had absolutely nothing. I don’t think a movie is good if you have to rewatch it a bunch of times and read up on the context behind it just to simply understand what’s going on.

This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'Summer Encore' (active August 1st - September 14th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.

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As ever, this post is an amalgamation of the advice from the Gardener's World website, the National Allotment Society, and Suttons allotment advice webpages. The advice is written by experts, I have no control over whether they used AI or not, I'm a mod, not a bot, though I may use a mod-assisting bot to automatically post this at the correct time, and if you don't like it, please feel free to ignore this post, it's not for you. Sorry if this sounds snarky! Now on to the good stuff - allotment jobs for July.

July is often one of the hottest and busiest months on the allotment. With crops ripening fast, pests multiplying, and water at a premium, it’s a time of reward - but also of routine. July is a month for reaping the rewards of your labours - lots of crops, such as runner beans, potatoes and raspberries are ready to harvest. But it is also a time for planning ahead - now is the time to sow winter crops, including potatoes for Christmas.

The weather in July can be fickle. If there's a drought, you'll need to prioritise which crops to water, and if it's damp, you'll need to watch out for tomato blight.

What to plant in July

July is a fantastic month for sowing seeds, as both soil and air temperatures are high. The long, warm days with good light levels speed up the germination process, helping you to extend your season of cropping in the vegetable patch and boost stocks of perennials, biennials and indoor exotics in the ornamental garden and cuttings patch. Bear in mind, however, that the water table is lower at this time of year and so extra watering may be needed.

In the UK, plenty of flower and vegetable seeds can be sown in July, including biennials such as foxgloves, which should flower the following spring. Quick-growing crops like radish, French beans, soybeans and carrots can be sown now, too.

July is also a good month to plant out young plants grown from seed in previous months. It's the last month to plant out young courgettes, squashes and sweetcorn - plant these early in the month to give them the best chance of cropping before the first of the autumn frosts. Now is also the best time to plant out winter cabbages that were grown from seed in April and May, so they're mature in time for Christmas and beyond. Plant out beetroot, fennel, and kohlrabi raised earlier in pots.

Although container grown fruit, shrubs and trees can be planted at any time of year, July is not the best month to do it as the weather can be hot and the soil dry. For any new shrub or tree that you do plant this month, take extra care to water regularly after planting, to ensure your shrub or fruit bush has the best chance of establishing well.

-Vegetables to grow in July

Lettuce - When to harvest: May to November. How to grow: lettuce and other salad leaves are a quick and easy crop - sow seed continually from March to September for fresh salad for the best part of a year. Sow seed in shallow drills or in pots. Thin seedlings to 30cm for hearting lettuces and simply harvest young leaves as and when for cut-and-come-again varieties. Remember to pick them as soon as they are ready as most varieties will quickly bolt if they are left to stand in the heat.

Carrots - When to harvest: May to November. How to grow: July is considered the last month to sow carrots for an autumn crop. Sow direct and thinly into shallow drills of well-prepared soil or in pots of soil-based compost. Try to avoid thinning seedlings to prevent carrot fly.

Turnips - When to harvest: May to December. How to grow: often forgotten, turnips can provide you with two harvests from one plant - the delicately sweet taproot can be eaten, as can the leaves or 'greens'. Eat them soon after harvesting as turnips don't store well. Sow direct in shallow drills, for a delicious winter crop.

Radishes - When to harvest: May to December. How to grow: quick to mature, easy to grow and almost pest-free, radishes provide a peppery burst to salads. They can also be grown as companion plants to other crops.

Dwarf French beans - When to harvest: July to October. How to grow: as with carrots, July is the last month to sow French beans, to allow the pods time to mature before the first frosts of autumn. Sow dwarf cultivars in the ground or in pots and keep well watered.

Winter cabbage - When to harvest: November to February. How to grow: now's the best time to plant out winter cabbages so they have plenty of time to mature before temperatures fall in autumn. Plant 45cm apart, leaving 60cm between rows. Firm in gently and water well. You may need to use netting to protect your cabbages from cabbage white caterpillars and pigeons.

Swiss chard - When to harvest: January to December. How to grow: sow Swiss chard direct in July for autumn and early spring crops. Crops sown in July can overwinter outdoors, giving you an early harvest the following year. Sow seed in a drill 1.5cm deep and 20cm apart. Cover the seed lightly with compost and water. Thin seedlings to 20cm apart to give the plants room to grow.

Coriander - When to harvest: July to December. How to grow: sow coriander outdoors until October in a bed or pot that is shaded from the midday sun. This will help prevent that plants from bolting due to hot weather and dry conditions. Sow seed on the surface of compost or in a shallow drill and cover lightly with compost. It's better to sow coriander direct as the plants don't transplant well due to a having a long tap root.

If you fancy growing potatoes for Christmas, now is the time to plant some.

Both Chicory and radicchio can be sown now for use over the colder months. Sow other brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower in early July for a harvest next spring. These hardy plants will mature and overwinter out on the plot. Start swede seeds out on the plot. Make sure you water the seedlings well as they develop, and protect them with mesh to deter flea beetles. Sow herb seeds like parsley straight into the ground, or start them off in trays before transplanting the seedlings into decorative pots for your kitchen windowsill.

-Fruit to grow in July

Blueberries - When to harvest: July to September. How to grow: the best time to plant blueberries is between autumn and spring but you can plant containerised blueberries at any time of year. Avoid planting in the ground when the weather is hot and dry. Blueberries need acidic soil, so it's often easiest to plant them in large containers of ericaceous compost. Keep the containers well watered if planting in summer.

Gooseberries - When to harvest: June to August. How to grow: you can plant container grown fruit bushes at any time during the year, but avoid doing so during very hot weather or when the ground is frozen. Ideally, gooseberries should be planted between autumn and spring but if you do plant this month, water well after planting and regularly until the plant is established. Plant in a sheltered spot that gets sun or in dappled shade, with the top of the rootball level with the surrounding soil level.

Fruit upkeep

Prune trained apple and pear trees (espaliers, cordons, etc.) by reducing side shoots to 3-5 leaves. Remove excessive whippy new growth using clean sharp secateurs. Avoid cutting older growth or removing fruit bearing branches. Protect cherries and currants with netting before the birds beat you to them! Thin heavy-set apples and plums to prevent branch breakage and improve remaining fruit quality - apple trees have a ‘June drop’ of young fruitlets between early June and early July. This is when the tree rids itself of small fruits if there are too many for it to carry through to maturity. Young trees are especially prone to this. In mid-July, check to see if there are still too many fruits and thin out if necessary. If the tree carries too many apples in one year, the following year may be disappointing. Harvest the last of your rhubarb and mulch crowns generously to build reserves for next year. Prune gooseberries and currants by shortening side shoots to help next year’s fruiting. Your strawberry plants are sending out runners which can be pegged into small pots of compost to make new plants. When the runners have rooted, simply detach from the parent plant. Strawberry plants last for three years before the fruit deteriorates to the stage where the plants need replacing. Water blueberries regularly to help the little fruit swell. Try to use collected rainwater to maintain their preferred soil acidity. Keep all currant bushes well watered as they enter the cropping phase

Harvest crops

First early and second early potatoes should be ready to dig up this month - they don't store well, so enjoy them straightaway. Replant quick-maturing crops like salad leaves or French beans in the vacant space. Globe artichokes and climbing beans will be ready to pick this month. Strawberries and raspberries can be enjoyed this month, too - if birds are a problem, cover them with netting. The first of the greenhouse tomatoes should be ready to eat. Harvest beetroot, broad beans, summer cabbage, early-sown carrots, courgettes,  lettuce, peas, radish, and salad leaves this month for a truly veritable feast! Some early-sown cauliflowers might be ready this month. Harvest onions and garlic when the foliage starts to turn yellow and wilt. Eventually the foliage will flop to the ground. It’s important to let the bulbs dry thoroughly before storing in a cool dark place for use throughout the rest of the year. Pick your mangetout and sugar snap peas regularly. Harvest your pak choi either as ‘cut and come again’ leaves, or chop up the whole thing into a stir fry or noodle soup. Try harvesting the male flowers of your courgette plants to stuff and deep fry, or to decorate salads. Courgettes need regular picking, otherwise you’ll end up with lots of marrows to deal with!

Allotment flowers in July

Mid-summer is the height of the sweet pea season. Cut regularly to ensure a constant supply of new blooms - cropping is reduced if spent flowers remain on the plant and form seed pods. Deadhead your flowering perennials and allotment bedding plants to encourage repeat flowering through the entire summer. Plant any spare marigolds and tagetes near tomatoes to help deter whitefly. Flowering companion plants help attract pollinating insects to your vegetable patch too. Try leaving a vegetable plant in the ground to ‘go over’ and flower. Not only are parsnip and brassica flowers particularly lovely to look at, they attract pollinators and allow you to save your own seeds. Herbs like sage and rosemary are currently in flower, and both look great on the allotment as well as having practical uses too. Stake sunflowers sufficiently well to avoid them being blown over during strong winds. There is a considerable amount of stress on the stakes due to the height of the plants.

Soil Preparation & General Maintenance

Hoe often - A dry July sun makes this the perfect time to hoe off young weeds. A regular hoeing regime keeps your soil open, weed-free, and allows water to penetrate easily. Mulch thirsty crops - Tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins, and beans will benefit from a thick mulch of compost or well-rotted manure to retain moisture and reduce evaporation. Water wisely - Early morning or late evening is best. Aim for fewer, deeper waterings that soak into the root zone rather than frequent light sprinkles. Liquid feed crops weekly to maintain productivity, especially for tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, and sweetcorn. Lift shallots and lay them out to dry once their foliage dies down. Thin swedes and turnips sown last month for better root development. Stake tall crops like runner beans, sprouts, peas, and asparagus ferns. Encourage pollinators by growing flowers nearby - runner beans especially benefit from good insect activity. Young pumpkins and squashes should be forming nicely by now. They can be grown either clambering up trellis, over compost heaps and indeed along the ground. Keep the plants well watered. Watch your onions carefully and cut out any flower spikes that emerge. This encourages them to focus on putting on size. If you haven’t done so already, lift autumn-grown garlic early in July. Allow the bulbs to dry in a sunny location before storing for use over winter.

Watch out for blight

In warm, damp weather, watch out for potato blight - in particular, dark edges or black blotches on the leaves. Tomatoes grown outside are also susceptible to tomato blight. If spotted early, cut down the top growth immediately to protect the tubers or fruit.

The summer heat means pests are more active. Slugs and snails are still active, especially after rain. Set traps or pick off by hand in the evening. Aphids multiply quickly in the heat - use soapy sprays or encourage ladybirds. Watch out for cabbage white butterflies - net brassicas and inspect for eggs and caterpillars.

Pinch out tomatoes

Pinch out the sideshoots of cordon tomatoes - this will encourage the plants to put their energies into producing flowers, and therefore fruits. Remove the growing tip once four flower trusses have formed.

Water

In very hot weather, it pays to prioritise certain plants. Water flowering and fruiting tomatoes and cucumbers every day or two. Be generous with water on leafy crops such as lettuce, rocket, chard, coriander and spinach, which are prone to bolting if they dry out. Water strawberries, courgettes and runner beans frequently, along with veg that prefers cool conditions, such as cauliflower and cabbage. Also prioritise crops growing in pots.

Greenhouse & Polytunnel

Ventilate daily to prevent heat stress. Prop open doors, vents, or roll up tunnel sides. Dampen floors to boost humidity and deter red spider mites. Tie in cucumbers, melons and tomatoes as they grow. Water and feed tomatoes regularly to prevent blossom end rot. Use a high-potash feed weekly. Hand-pollinate melons by transferring pollen from male to female flowers with a soft brush or by using a male flower directly. If you’re planning on going away in August, remember that your tomatoes and cucumbers are very water sensitive. Make sure you install an automatic watering system in your greenhouse if you have them under glass. Alternatively, ask a friendly allotment neighbour to keep an eye on watering in exchange for a bit of your crop.

Posting on behalf of Distinct Health, a UK health-tech company hosting free community hypertension and kidney disease awareness events in London. (Sorry to those of you less local!)

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This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'Pride Picks' (Active June 1st - June 30th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.

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