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Force rhubarbThe stalks of rhubarb are a delicious treat when there's little other fruit available. Left to its own devices, rhubarb can usually be pulled in late April and May but, by covering the crowns early in the year, it's possible to force

Sow sweet peas into deep potsTransplant evergreen shrubs and conifers to new sitesFlowersSow peas in lengths of guttering under coverPlant out onion sets in rowsCarefully dig away grass or plants growing close to fruit treesFruit & vegPlant canna lilies

greenfly from shoot tips with soapy waterFeed rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris and camelliasFlowersCover rows of strawberries with cloches Plant early potatoes outside in rowsSpray fruit trees and bushes with fungicide Fruit & vegPlant up bulbs, corms

foliage intact for six weeks after flowering FlowersSow dwarf and climbing beans in deep pots or cardboard toilet roll tubesPlant new asparagus bedsContinue planting potatoes, shallots and onion setsFruit & vegMake mini-cloches from empty plastic bottles

to flower bedsPrune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after floweringFlowersTie in new shoots of blackberries and cane fruits to support wiresSow sweetcorn in deep potsPinch off strawberry runners as soon as they developFruit & vegPut up shading to reflect

to supportsClip box hedging and topiary to keep it neatFlowersSow a few seeds of salad leaves every 2-3 weeksPlant out crops being raised in pots under glassCover soft fruits with netting to prevent birds eating themFruit & vegTake cuttings from pelargoniums

Cut the foliage of daffodils and tulips down to the groundFlowersPlant out leeks and brassicas raised in a seed bedSpread mulch around crops to conserve soil moistureNet developing soft fruits to protect them from birdsFruit & vegTie greenhouse tomatoes

growing from the framework of espalierPick fresh herbs for dryingPick gooseberries, currants, strawberries and other fruitsFruit & vegTrain cucumbers and prune back sideshootsPick off flowers on coleus to maintain their colourful leavesPinch out tomato

FlowersPick ripe apples and store the best in fruit cratesDig up strawberry runners and pot them upNet autumn raspberries and blackberries Fruit & vegScrub off shading paint and wash the glass thoroughly Listen out for weather forecasts of early frosts

their bestPrune out old stems of rambling roses that carried flowersFlowersContinue picking sweetcorn, beans and marrows Prune out fruited blackberry stems and tie in new onesSave bean seeds from favourite varieties Fruit & vegCheck greenhouse heaters