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Chickweed, Stellaria media, is best thought of as a delicious rather than a pernicious weed. Its young leaves are packed with vitamins, so it makes a healthy addition to salads. However, it can also harbour greenfly and spider mite, so remove it immediately if it appears in your ...

Cleavers grows rapidly during warm weather. The sticky stems are able to scramble around the garden, smothering small, cultivated plants and setting masses of seed. It's usually introduced on the coats of animals, birds' feathers or human clothing. Its lifecycle is approximately ...

Groundsel is able to produce lots of seed, and several generations of this weed can grow in a single growing season. Plants can overwinter and act as a host for rust fungus. This weed is adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. Seed can blow in from surrounding gardens, f...

Shepherd's purse is a quick-growing, short-lived weed. One plant is able to produce hundreds of seeds which compound the problem. Its lifecycle is approximately three to four weeks from germination to setting seed. It can be introduced into the garden through the compost of new p...

Willowherb, or fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium, is a pretty plant that looks at home in a wild garden, but will take over any domestic garden, spreading by seed and tough underground roots. Left unchecked, it will invade the space of other plants and restrict their growth. Will...

and the roots usually stay where they are and it will regrow from them.Yellow sorrel grows as an annual, but it happily and plentifully regenerates from seed each year, as the seed pods explode and fire seeds all around the garden.The best way to deal

Monty demonstrates how to sow carrot seed and shares tips on protecting your crop from carrot root fly with a combination of physical barriers, companion planting and later sowings.spring-summerMore advice on growing carrotsAdvice on dealing with carrot root flyGrow carrots in a ...

's better to make an earth clamp. Choose a sheltered, dry site to make your clamp, and only choose carrots in good condition. Prepare the crops by shaking off loose soil and removing any foliage.Home-grown carrotsStrawautumn1 hourDig a shallow hole and cover

Carrots need space to develop fully so, once germinated, go over your rows of carrots and pick out the weakest-looking vegetable seedlings to leave a 2cm - 4cm space around remaining seedlings. If you're very careful in extracting the seedling from

Dandelions can spread quickly via seed to colonise freshly cultivated soil, and are able to survive in compacted soil in lawns. The deep tap root allows them to survive and re-grow when the top of the plant is cut off. Seed can blow in from surrounding gardens, fields and waste-g...