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Follow Monty Don's guide to planting onions, shallots and garlic, with tips on soil preparation, drainage and compost.springMore advice on growing alliumsRead Lila Das Gupta's blog on growing garlicHarvesting garlicPlanting out leeks

of thinning the seedlings releases the carrot's scent. Plant strong-smelling crops, such as garlic, onions, shallots and leeks adjacent to the carrots. Follow a strict crop rotation plan, avoiding growing carrots on the same site in consecutive years

Also know as American gooseberry mildew, this greyish-white powdery growth of the fungal disease Sphaerotheca mors-uvae appears on new shoots, which can become distorted and die off. The mildew also affects the upper leaf surfaces and stems of the plant, while the skin on affecte...

Monty Don explains the best methods of harvesting fruit from cucumber plants, with tips on recognising and removing male flowers.summerMore advice on growing fruit and vegMonty's video demonstration of how to harvest carrotsSowing beetroot seeds

The cause of the splits is invariably irregular watering. When the tree suddenly gets a hefty drink following a period of drought, the apples quickly expand, which often leads to the skin cracking. The fruit usually produces a corky, scab-like covering, but in the case of mature ...

for using in table decorations.Combine them with bay leaves and bunches of box, to make festive table decorations. They make an attractive display, set off perfectly with old terracotta pots.Old terracotta pots (15cm)Oasis blocksBay - Laurus nobilis

Apple sooty blotch is caused by an overwintering fungus, which is typically found on trees or branches growing in shade and damp. It creates a splatter of dark, sooty spots all over the skin of the fruit, although the flesh isn't affected at all

Any tree fruit that has been wounded by insects or is split can be infected by this fungus. If the affected fruit is still on the tree, inedible and rotten, the fungus can even spread back into the spurs. Damaged, harvested fruit can also be affected. The spores are transmitted t...

Left unchecked, canker can gradually spread to affect whole branches and sections of trees. Severely-infected old trees may be beyond rescue, while young trees are vulnerable to infection, particularly where other susceptible trees are growing

Earwigs, which can be up to 14mm long, hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. The females lay eggs in late-winter, usually in the soil, which hatch in spring. Although earwigs can damage plants, they also eat small pests and their eggs