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When planting, make sure that the top of the compost in the pot is level with the surrounding soil surface. Take time to plant carefully so that the plants all have a good start in life. Follow our step-by-step tips for success.Pot-grown plantGarden

-rotted manure or garden compost.Using a trowel, take out a hole at the base of each cane and set plants with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil. Fill around the roots with soil and firm the plant in place using your fingers.Water the plants

Plant out dahlias into well-prepared soil that's been enriched with manureCut down pulmonarias to just above soil level after flowering to encourage new foliageClip box hedging and topiary to keep it neatRegularly tie tall stems of delphiniums

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

Sow green manure crops to fill bare soilRemove pond weedsHoe and hand weed bordersFeed plants such as roses, shrubs and hedgesPrepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and OctoberSend off for mail-order bulb catalogues

Prune summer-flowering clematis, cutting above a low pair of green budsCut out dead stems of ceratostigma and hardy fuchsiasPrune all stems of Hydrangea paniculata down to about three buds from soil levelPrepare areas in flowerbeds ready for sowing

the roots of your fruit bush.Tip plenty of garden compost into the hole and fork it deep into the soil.Sprinkle a handful of fertiliser in the hole and fork it into the soil.Spread the roots of the blackcurrant bush out evenly across the hole area, teasing

of them. Bare-root rose plantSpadeForkBamboo caneGranular fertiliser, such as chicken manureDecember - mid-March 20 minutes for each rose June - AugustDig out a hole in the soil to the depth of a garden spade and the same width. Put the soil to one side

Blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiency. Without calcium, a plant's cell walls collapse and die, resulting in the bruised appearance of the fruits. Plants take up calcium from the soil through their roots, so if it's dry, the calcium stays

Bare patches can appear in your lawn after a thorough raking, where the grass is undernourished or where it's been worn out. These gaps should be reseeded or returfed to prevent moss and weeds colonising the soil and to allow your lawn to look its