Search - Articles

gently around the plug to ensure the roots spread as the young plant grows.When all the plugs have been planted, water with a fine rose. Keep on a bright windowsill or in the greenhouse for four to five weeks, potting on once for trailing plants, or twice

to their baseFlowersGrow early-maturing potatoes in a bag of compostFork compost into beds to prepare soil for plantingChit potatoes Fruit & vegSow cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines and peppersWater compost with a suitable pesticideSow summer bedding plants

Plant sweetcorn All the juicy sweetness in corn cobs is lost if you don't eat them within (literally) minutes of harvesting - so you really will only ever experience sweetcorn as it should be when you grow your own. All they need for success is sun

new fruit trees, canes and bushesUse cloches to warm soil for early sowingsPrepare areas for planting asparagusFruit & vegRaise lettuce and salad crops in potsWater potted fuchsias sparingly Prune grapevines before they come into growthGreenhouse20

changing from pink to blue...a clear illustration of the affect of pH on plants.My garden soil must have got more alkaline, possibly through watering with 'hard' tap water during hot weather last summer, hence the pink flowers this year. I'll need to change

Collect and sow seed from foxglovesTake cuttings from pinks (Dianthus)Prune philadelphus after flowering, removing stems carrying old flowers. Cut out very weak stems and some of the oldest woodFeed dahlias with a liquid fertiliser and ensure plants

laden branches on plums, apples and pears with wooden propsWater fruit to increase yields then cover the soil with a mulch, such as grass cuttings, to conserve the moistureWater strawberry runners, cutting them from the parent plant when well rooted

Scrub off shading paint and wash the glass thoroughly inside and out Listen out for weather forecasts of early frosts and be ready to bring tender potted plants under coverVentilate the greenhouse on warm days, but close doors and vents every

Cover soil with polythene sheets to keep it dry so that winter digging can be completedKeep your Christmas tree outside in a bucket of water until you're ready to bring it indoors to decorateWash cloches and cold framesOrder manure or mushroom

throughout the festive season.Work off Christmas excesses by digging over bare areasPlace cloches over tender plantsSharpen blades on garden toolsAround the gardenMake last-minute pickings of fresh flowers for the houseSpread compost on to flower beds