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of soil. As the plants grow, cover them with more soil, aiming to eventually fill the trench.Keep newly planted crowns well watered until established and ensure the area is kept weed free to prevent competition for light and nutrients. Avoid harvesting

We've been enjoying potatoes since the late 16th century when Spanish conquistadors brought them back from Peru.There are three main types, named according to when you plant and harvest them: first earlies, second earlies and maincrop. Depending

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

Dig over veg plots, mixing compost into the soil as you goContinue filling a trench with kitchen waste where you want to grow beansCover rhubarb with forcing jars for an early harvestUse cloches to warm the soil for early sowingsPlant new fruit

of the treasured crops of the allotmenteer and vegetable gardener.Potatoes are generally grown from seed potatoes, which are small versions of the potatoes you'll harvest. I grow a few varieties each of first early, second early and maincrop potatoes. First early

Carrots can be stored for winter use in a number of ways. On well-drained soils they can be left in the ground, protected from the cold by a thick layer of straw, bracken or soil.Carrots stored in this way can be difficult to harvest, however, so it

Forcing rhubarb by covering the crowns will encourage the plants to make early growth. These forced stalks can be harvested for use in cooking when they are 20cm - 30cm long and make a useful substitute for fruit when there is little else in store

After my shame-faced confession of last week, I thought I'd better get up to the plot and see how everything was doing.The leeks were just lovely so I harvested a few for tea. I used a couple of leeks as well as the tops from the others for a leek

There are many ways to store apples, from keeping them fresh in the fridge for a few weeks, to long-term storage in apple crates. Early apple varieties, harvested between September and October - such as 'Beauty of Bath' and 'Worcester Pearmain

Potato blight, Phytophthora infestans, determines the quality and quantity of our potato harvest. We grow our own spuds every year, but harvest them in varying quantities, depending on whether or not they've been affected.The fungal infection