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for autumn interestLift gladioli, clean the corms and store them FlowersMake a cross-cut in cabbage stems when harvestingSow broad beans for early crops next May and JunePut cloches over tender herbs like basil and corianderFruit & vegBring tender succulents

climbersPick seedheads and evergreen foliage Move tubs of shrubs or winter bedding to a sheltered spotFlowersMake a composting trench to enrich soilMake compost from spent cropsDig over vacant areasFruit & vegKeep potted herbs on the staging to crop over

Sap-sucking aphids excrete honeydew, sometimes seen as a string or web of stickiness. This can drip down on to lower leaves and on to other plants. A dark or grey-green mould then spreads across the honeydew. It's unsightly and prevents light and air from reaching the leaves.Blac...

the onion.Strain the liquid into a sterilised bottle and keep it in the fridge. Discard the onion. Use the remedy within two days.More advice on using herbsHow to make a lavender bath bagHow to make lavender bath oilSoothe gardening aches and pain with a

Of the black, red and yellow ants that are commonly seen in the garden, only the red ones (from the Myrmica species) sting. Other than that, ants are more of a nuisance than a pest. They feed mostly on insects, including other ants, and honeydew, the sweet sticky substance that a...

Creamy-yellow larvae hatch from the white eggs of the carrot fly, Psila rosae, and tunnel into the roots of carrots and other related plants, such as parsnips and celery. The damage creates brown scarring on the exterior of the taproots. Damaged roots are then susceptible to seco...

Mole hills - piles of fresh, excavated soil - don't fully convey the extent of one mole's underground tunnel system, which can cover a surprisingly large area. If a young plant isn't developing, it could be due to tunnelling beneath it. Seedlings can also suffer badly when their ...

Every garden has its fair share of slugs and the bad news is that they are around for most of the year. They're active mostly after dark, especially when it's damp. In hot dry weather they bury themselves to avoid dehydrating.Holes are chewed in soft, new growth, young stems are ...

The common, quick-spreading fungal disease Botrytis cinerea strikes in damp, humid weather, and often enters the lettuce through a cut or tear in a leaf. Affected leaves are inedible and should be thrown away but not composted. The worst scenario is when the lettuce is attacked a...

The white powdery coating on a curcubit's leaves is made up of spreading fungal spores. This affects the plant's performance, with growth, flowering and fruiting all being adversely affected. In extreme cases, the mildew can lead to dieback and even kill a plant. Since there are ...