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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

, sandwiching the mesh in-between.AdamYour sieve can also double as a drying tray in autumn and winter for onions, garlic, root crops and beans before you store them.More ways to improve soilCarol Klein's video guide to mulchingImproving your soil with green

should be able to buy all the ingredients for your plant support from a garden centre or DIY store for less than £10.Galvanised wire1.5m bamboo cane45cm terracotta potWire cuttersCompostIvy plantall year round30 minutesCut a 3m length of wire and bend

with water to remove the mould. Arrange them on a plate or piece of kitchen roll to dry.Once the seeds have dried out, store them in a paper envelope in a dark, cool place until spring. Make sure they are clearly labelled.More advice on growing tomatoes

Ready made tool racks are available to buy, but you can easily make your own, using timber bought from a local DIY store. To start with, measure the width of your shed and select the length of timber you need. Think about the height of your shed

in close proximity. Where trees are suffering stress as a result of drought or waterlogging, they may be more liable to infection. Canker may also infect fruit, so they rot on the tree before harvesting or when in store. If your trees have suffered

't affected. The leaves can also be affected, with a general loss of vigour and poor flowering. Cucumber mosaic virus results in deformed plants and ruined or aborted flowers. Look out for sunken spots or ringed bulb scales on the stored bulbs. Tobacco

, which is causing me some concern as we do not have a cold store here to hold them back. Our floral displays are exactly how they would be in the garden, except that each plant will have been minutely prepared before leaving the farm.Woad, Isatis

one carefully constructed from one cut-out circle of foliage. Inside will have been eggs laid by the leafcutter bee, along with a store of nectar and pollen for the emerging grubs to feed on (we didn't dare look in case we disturbed them).We carefully

I was pleased with this year's Christmas harvest – much of our Christmas dinner was allotment produce. King Edward potatoes from the garage were roasted, Charlotte new potatoes from store were steamed. Greens took the form of braised leeks and