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with a mulch of straw or ash.AdamWater regularly but sparingly and feed fortnightly during the growing season with a high-potash fertiliser, such as tomato feed. Agapanthus flower best when they're slightly pot bound, so plant them in a container smaller

plants get the most out of potassium feed.springMore advice on growing tomatoesRead Kate Bradbury's blog on the dos and don'ts of growing tomatoesGrowing tomatoes in pots and grow bagsGrowing tomatoes from seedGrowing tomatoes outsideSowing tomato seeds

Plant up hanging baskets, and leave them in a sheltered spot before hanging fully outsidePlant out potted alliums in groups to add interest to flower bedsPrune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering, such as forsythia, ribes

Buy pansies and other winter bedding plug plants to grow on under coverDamp down the greenhouse floor every morning on hot daysWater plants in pots and growing bags every morning, and again at night if necessaryAdd liquid feed to at least one

Feed tomatoes in growing bags and pots with a liquid high-potash fertiliser Plant nerines, lachenalia and veltheimia bulbs in potsTake leaf cuttings from begonias, Cape primroses and African violetsSow winter lettuces in potsPot up clumps of chives

Learn how to care for peonies with Chris Beardshaw's video guide, including advice on how to spot and deal with peony wilt and nutrient deficiency.summerMore advice on growing flowersDealing with peony wiltGrowing lupins video projectPlanting out

Sow seeds of beans, marrows courgettes and squashes, two per pot, and thin out the weakest seedling to leave the strongest plantSpray peaches and nectarines with fungicide to prevent an attack of peach leaf curl Pick rhubarb stems as they develop

Sow green manure crops to fill bare soilRemove pond weedsHoe and hand weed bordersFeed plants such as roses, shrubs and hedgesPrepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and OctoberSend off for mail-order bulb catalogues

Fix nesting boxes for birds to suitable trees around your gardenService petrol lawn mowers and power toolsKeep indoor azaleas well-watered with rainwaterMake fat cakes and hang them among roses to encourage bluetits to feed off overwintering pests

Sow peas in lengths of guttering under cover, so you can plant out seedlings in an instant rowPlant out onion sets in rows, spacing them about 10-15cm apartCarefully dig away grass or plants growing close to the stems of fruit trees to reduce