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beans and courgettes, which produce inedible, gargantuan produce at the earliest opportunity.I must grow more vegetables that are suitable for storing. Potatoes, butternut squashes, onions and shallots are great storers. They're no trouble to grow

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

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

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

frame, and planted out once well rooted and growing strongly.It’s not just garlic that suffers in wet weather. Onions can succumb to a disease called mildew. If you’ve been troubled by this, I recommend growing a new variety for 2013, called 'Santero

beautifully that anyone who saw them passed comment. It's a lovely variety to grow and the fruits did look fantastic, but I can't tell you what they taste like!My third 'failure' is less severe. This year my onions are decidedly patchy performers. I've got a

.For best results, cover plants with a sturdy cloche. The warmer temperature inside the cloche will encourage strong plant growth in autumn, and protect them from the worst of the weather in winter.More on growing winter cropsGrow winter onionsHow to grow

Keep harvesting root vegetables as they mature, including parsnips and leeksOrder seed potatoes, onion sets and shallotsStretch netting over brassicas to protect them from pigeonsCover clumps of rhubarb with buckets or terracotta pots to force early

Plant out leeks and brassicas raised in a seed bedSpread mulch around beans and other crops to help conserve soil moistureNet developing soft fruits to protect them from birdsSpray apple trees showing signs of powdery mildew or scabWater onions

Harvest globe artichokesStake tall Brussels sprouts to stop them from blowing overDig up chicory roots, cut off their tops and re-pot for forcing, to grow on in a dark shedWrap grease bands around the trunks of apples, pears, cherries and plums to trap