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plummets at about 6pm. So yes, the fleece is draped all over the place in the veg plots. A bit of snugly-protection for my sweet potatoes (I'm growing Bearegard and Jetfire this year, it'll be interesting to see how they fare!) and some vital, please

but they're also rather gorgeous to look at. Their rich colour lifts your spirits on a chilly winter day when everything else is looking drab and dull. As with all brassicas, red cabbages need protection from pests, but as I grew mine over winter I didn

the long wispy side shoots back to about 20cm during summer (July is perfect), and then cutting these stems back further to about 5cm during winter. Pruning twice a year in this way not only controls the mass of new growth that develops each year, but also

Follow Rachel de Thame's video advice on planting up a container of summer-flowering bulbs, with advice on choosing healthy bulbs, planting depths and protection from frost.springMore advice on planting bulbsLayering bulbs in a potPlanting lily

Learn how to reinvigorate your citrus plants by watching Monty prune back woody growth and refresh compost. Follow his advice on watering citrus plants and providing them with the correct balance of ventilation and protection from the cold

Joe Swift's video guide to growing tomatoes from seedMonty Don's advice on growing tomatoes in pots and grow bagsMethods for controlling tomato blightDealing with tomato leaf mouldProtect tomatoes from frost damageHow to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse

Protect pots of seedlings from the cold by making mini-cloches from empty plastic bottlesPrick out seedlings once they have developed their first true leavesOpen doors and greenhouse vents on warm days to improve ventilationSow herbs into pots

weedsSpread a layer of compost over borders, around shrubs and along the base of hedgesProtect gunnera from hard frost by covering with straw or similar insulationThin out the top growth on standard roses to prevent damage and wind rockTake hardwood

Keep baskets and patio pots wateredSpray roses to protect them from pests and diseasesCut the foliage of daffodils and tulips down to the groundTrim box topiary and formal edging to keep it neat and tidyTake cuttings of non-flowering new shoots from

Check sweetcorn to see if it's ripe and ready to pick. This is when the tassels start to go brownPick beans and water crops regularlyLift onions once their tops die downPick plums as they ripenUse netting to protect blackberries, autumn raspberries