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-rotted manureFertiliserOctober - March10 minutes per square metreDig the soil thoroughly, breaking up large clods or lumps to relieve compaction. It is best to use a spade for soil that has never been dug. Previously cultivated soil can be forked through

Learn how to give frost-tender plants the best chance of surviving the winter, by following Rachel de Thame's video advice, with tips on watering and where to store plants.October-NovemberMore on protecting plants over winterHow to protect tender plants for the winterHow to prote...

Follow Chris Beardshaw's step-by-step video advice on lifting and preparing dahlia tubers, for overwintering in a frost-free environment.autumnMore advice on growing dahliasVideo advice on planting dahlia tubersMore tips on lifting and storing dahliasHow to take dahlia cuttingsHo...

The practice of improving soil, by adding a layer of fertiliser to the surface and allowing it to settle in without digging over. Replacing the top layer of soil with compost.

Dig over veg plots, mixing compost into the soil as you goContinue filling a trench with kitchen waste where you want to grow beansCover rhubarb with forcing jars for an early harvestUse cloches to warm the soil for early sowingsPlant new fruit

Dig up congested clumps of winter aconites and transplant to new sitesImprove the soil the soil by spreading compost or manure over beds and forking inMove plants growing in the wrong placeDig deeply areas where you'll be planting new roses, shrubs

. Winter is the only time of year that offers a reprieve, but for the rest of the year the best way to tackle it among other plants is to dig it out as soon as it appears. The ground and walls are covered in a rapidly growing, white-flowering, twining

, and dig deeply to sieve out roots of perennial weeds, such as bindweed, ground elder and couch grass Improve compacted soil by mixing in extra compost. Take care not to walk on or dig up spring bulbsTake root cuttings from phlox and oriental poppiesPot up

Catch earwigs in upturned pots crammed with newspaper or straw on canes among dahlias, and destroy any you findPrune pyracantha and train shoots to supports Prepare soil to plant evergreen shrubs and conifers by digging it over and incorporating

autumnImprove soil in borders in preparation for autumn planting, digging it over and adding compostRemove and clean pumps from pondsTake hardwood cuttings from shrubs and fruit bushesSpike lawns and brush sharp sand or grit into the holes to improve