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Make Halloween extra-special by growing your own pumpkins from seed. Learn how in this archive clip from BBC Gardeners' World (please note that the seed trial Monty mentions is no longer running).springMore advice on growing vegetablesGrow potatoes

. But I love pumpkin curry, pumpkin soup or even just mashed pumpkin with bacon.We grow three varieties. The first is a big orange number called ‘Vif d’Etampes’. It keeps well into the winter, but once cut we have to eat it for at least a week. The second

compost in the bin to feed all the hungry plants. And wait for that horrible business of 'winter' to be over with.PSTo grow pumpkins you need a sheltered, sunny position and rich, moisture-retentive soil. Sow two seeds 2.5cm deep in a 5cm pot in late

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

's more prone to infection. Spray with myclobutanil.marrows, courgettes, pumpkins, squashsummer, autumn, winterCommon fruit and veg problemsTomato blightGooseberry mildewGrey mould on soft fruitsSooty mould

hours, say a shed, but near to a bright window or lamp. The beetles will fly up towards the light. Grow brassica crops under fleece or very fine mesh netting.shasta daisies, sweet peas, cauliflowers, many ornamentals and vegetablesspring, summer

Regularly water crops in pots and growing bags, daily if needed in warm weather Plant trailing tomatoes in hanging basketsFeed young plants weekly with a solution of liquid fertiliserVentilate the greenhouse during the day, but close vents

't get caught out by cold winds and chilly nights. Although they're quite small, they'll grow like mad once planted, and will need plenty of room. I usually only put a couple of plants in a 1.2m by 3m bed - any more than that and they start getting out

Wrap grease bands around fruit trees to catch female winter moths climbing up from the soilPlant out garlic or start growing cloves in pots to plant out laterClear away old crops and dig over the groundSow hardy peas under fleece for an early crop

easy to grow as you can plant them up, give them basic care and you're pretty much guaranteed a good result:Potatoes; 'Charlotte', 'Sarpo Mira', 'Pink Fir Apple'Courgettes; 'Gold Rush F1', 'Gemmer F1'Pumpkins; 'Jack be Little', 'Rouge Vif d