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magnet for bumblebees.There are a few green manures to sow now, suitable for a range of soil types:1. Grazing rye (Secale cereale) improves soil structure. Sow from August to November and dig in the following spring.2. Winter field bean (Vicia faba

Sow seeds of dwarf and climbing beans in deep pots or cardboard toilet roll tubes filled with compostPlant new asparagus bedsContinue planting potatoes, shallots and onion setsFeed spring cabbage with a high-nitrogen fertiliserRemove forcing jars

exclude all meat, fat and anything that has been cooked, as these will attract vermin. I also avoid citrus remains because they are slow to rot and very acidic, which reduces worm activity.Very few plants contain the right balance of nitrogen and carbon

the release back into the soil of nitrogen captured in the bean roots by bacteria. This acts like a natural fertiliser created by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the nodules of bean roots (and other members of the legume family).It's too late to sow more broad

wildlife, they can be made into great plant food and are a surprisingly versatile ingredient in the kitchen.The nettle we're used to in the UK is Urtica dioica, a perennial plant full of iron, calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, which makes it incredibly

, nitrogen-rich ingredients sandwiched between brown, carbon-based ingredients with a very light sprinkling of water now and then). I also mentioned some optional extras that will help turbo-charge a pile like shop-bought compost accelerator, nettles, comfrey

at the back of my south-facing border, close to the wall where they'll be kept warm at night. As an experiment, one is planted in a bucket of semi-rotted compost, like a portable bean trench. All are staked with tall, strong bamboo canes. (They're only about 2

of the plant, attracting black sooty mould, which inhibits photosynthesis and deprives the plant of energy.Young tender growth is vulnerable to aphid attack. These tiny insects (1mm-7mm long) are usually green or black and breed fast, smothering the plant

, such as 'Invicta' and 'Greenfinch'.Use an all-purpose feed, rather than one high in nitrogen, as this will only generate soft new growth that's prone to infection. Spray infected plants with myclobutanil.gooseberries, blackcurrantsspring, early summer More common

the area to lock moisture in the ground and give plants a regular drink. The moment mildew is seen, immediately prune out and destroy the affected leaves.Use an all-purpose feed rather than one high in nitrogen, which will generate soft new growth that