Monty Don shares harvesting task Britons should complete in the next few days for 'depth and deliciousness' in their food
Britons have been told which gardening task to get on with before the end of the month
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July is almost over so it's time for gardeners to go through their gardening checklist for this month.
British horticulturist Monty Don urged gardening enthusiasts to harvest their garlic and shallots.
Gardening experts at GROeatFarm said: "Three amigos, shallots, garlic and onions, belong to the same family, the Alliums. They're like cousins who share a love for adding depth and deliciousness to our food."
In his July blog, Monty Don said: "If the leaves are yellowing and seed heads are forming, this is a good indication that garlic and shallots are usually ready to harvest."
'If the leaves are yellowing and seed heads are forming, this is a good indication that garlic is usually ready to harvest'
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The yellowing leaves and forming of seed heads is also a good indication that onions may be ready soon too - "although they may need a few more weeks yet".
The expert advised using a fork to - gently - lift garlic and shallots as opposed to tearing them out with your hands.
This is to avoid damaging the root - in particular the root plate - where they attach to the bulb.
Monty advised gardeners to then clean any excess soil, without removing any foliage or roots.
The garlic and shallots should be dried thoroughly either in a greenhouse or left on the soil if it's dry and warm.
For this, make a homemade rack made from chicken wire stretched over posts.
The horticulturist urged gardening enthusiasts to let the garlic and shallots "absolutely dry" before "topping and tailing" for storage. Drying completely usually takes a few weeks.
The Royal Horticultural Society offered a top harvesting tip for shallots: "Carefully separate clusters into individual bulbs. The bulbs can either be used straight away or dried and stored for later use."
Another garden-to-kitchen task to get on with as July draws to a close is sowing lettuce for autumn harvest.
Monty said: "Lettuce sown directly into the soil in July will germinate very quickly and can be ready for harvesting six to eight weeks after sowing.
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Garlic and shallots 'add depth and deliciousness to our food'
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"I tend to sow mine in plugs so I can protect the emerging seedlings more easily from slugs and snails, and then plant them out at nine-inch spacing in August, usually when I have cleared an earlier crop such as broad beans or peas to make space."
In another July gardening tip, Monty Don shared the "best way to extend flowering season" for sweet peas.
The expert also listed three flowers to "cut to the ground" for "repeat flowering in a couple of months".
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