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Save seedsPerennial plants are often very generous in the amount of seed which they produce. Plants such as verbascum can produce thousands of seeds each year, and you can sow them to grow more plants for your garden or share them with friends

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

Plant strawberry runners in hanging baskets, which you can grow in the greenhouse to produce an early summer crop Order seedlings and bedding plants from mail-order suppliersSow dwarf French beans in a large pot for an early crop in JunePlant lily

Grow early-maturing potatoes in a bag of compostFork compost into beds to prepare soil for plantingChit potatoes by standing them in trays in a warm bright position until they develop small shootsDig out problem weeds and emerging annual weeds

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

Use twigs pushed into the ground to support tall-growing peas, or use short canes and stringFeed strawberries with a high potash feed, such as tomato fertiliserSow flowering companions in your veg plot, such as tagetes and poached egg plants

Hang old CDs among crops and from fruit trees to scare away birdsWater beans and sweet peas as they start to flowerGive extra water to ripening soft fruits such as raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and currantsFeed tomatoes and crops

herbs to bring into a porch or grow on the window sillSow broad beans and hardy peas for early crops next yearCheck pears regularly to harvest when perfectly ripeVegetables to sow now include winter radishes, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, spring

.I love the way home-grown salads start off as a meagre collection of leaves in spring, then steadily grow as tomatoes, broad beans and other ingredients are ready to harvest. The watercress growing in my pond is always the first leaf crop I pick, followed

to improve, so then will the crop.Baby courgettes fail to develop. Instead of growing into a long or round shape, they quickly rot on the plant.Pollinate the early batch of flowers by hand, rather than relying on insects. Pick an open male flower (which doesn