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Sap-sucking aphids are problematic for currant bushes. In spring, they cause the foliage to become blistered and puckered, as well as discolouring areas, leaving yellowish-green or red patches. The aphids then fly to hedge woundwort, a wildflower

happy to feed the blackbirds.Today I ventured into the currant bushes with my harvesting bowls. I soon realised that one of the blackbirds was sitting, watching me at work. Her eyes were fixed on me, and she sat low to the ground, no doubt hoping I

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

Blackcurrants are easy to grow and more tolerant of heavy soils than other currant bushes. Just one plant can provide a generous crop of berries. If blackcurrant bushes are kept well fed and watered you could be harvesting fruit a year after

stemsPrune red and white currants, shortening side shoots to a single budPot up strawberries to grow under cover for an early cropCheck your soil's pH with a special kit and add lime if it's too acidic for your plantsCheck fruit and vegetables in store

Shorten sideshoots growing from the framework of espalier, fan and cordon-trained fruit trees back to about five leaves from their basePick fresh herbs for dryingPick gooseberries, currants, strawberries and other fruits as they ripenSupport heavily

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

Along with the sap rising, the birds cavorting and my enthusiasm surging, the weeds are growing with a vengeance. This February has been a month of weeding on my allotment and - I'm delighted to say - the plot has never looked this good so early

Good morning and happy 'Grow Your Own' Week to you all.There are, I have to admit, many other gardeners who are hotter on vegetable growing than me. Give me herbaceous borders and I can muddle through and make them look pretty good, but when

.Raspberry 'Malling Jewel'Strong growing, good flavoured and high yielding. The strings of currants usually ripen in mid-July and are a glossy red.Redcurrant 'Laxton's Number One'A cross between modern and wild strawberries, it has the advantage of fruiting from July