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shieldbugs. Cyphostethus tristriatus is a crisp emerald green, with a striking orange-pink boomerang mark on each wingcase. It feeds on the young cones, but never enough to do any damage to these most vigorous of trees.It’s sometimes called the juniper

Follow Chris Beardshaw's advice on helping garden birds in spring. He explains the different feeding requirements of young and adult birds, how birds can help with pest control and offers tips on positioning nesting boxes.springMore on garden birds

Find out how to add structure to borders with summer-flowering clematis, in Monty's video, which also includes advice on choosing plants, soil preparation, planting depth, feeding and watering.early summerMore on clematisFeature on late

Learn how to grow dahlias for cut flowers, in Rachel de Thame's video demonstration. Rachel recommends varieties and shares tips on soil preparation, planting, feeding and staking young plants.early summerMore advice on growing dahliasLift and store

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

competitionFeed cabbages and other brassicas with pelleted chicken manure or another nitrogen-rich fertiliserSpray new leaves of peaches and nectarines with copper fungicide to prevent peach leaf curl Sow seeds of the following crops outside or under cloches

Take cuttings from delphiniums using strong young shoots, and root them in free-draining compostWash off greenfly from shoot tips with soapy waterFeed rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris and camellias with ericaceous (acidic) plant foodSeveral shrubs

Sow sweetcorn in deep modular seed trays under cover to plant out in early JuneFeed fruit trees and bushesPlant out onion sets grown in pots under glassOrder vegetable plug plants from mail-order suppliersWarm soil with cloches or sheets

and morning glory (Ipomoea)Grow an early crop of dwarf French beans in a large potRepot any top-heavy or pot-bound houseplantsStart feeding young plants about 3-4 weeks after potting up in fresh compostPot up rooted cuttings and seedlings

and suppress weedsWater clumps of tulips and spring bulbs with liquid feed