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of underground stems that will bear potatoes. This mounding can be repeated once or twice more at 2 - 3 week intervals to ensure the best crop, with the added benefit of smothering any competing weeds.Potato plantsGarden forkRakelate-May - late-June 20 minutes

from the garden. Large bucket, dustbin or decorative rhubarb forcerStraw (optional)November - February10 minutes harvest January - AprilClear around the base of a rhubarb crown, removing old leaves and weeds. Use a large pot, dustbin or decorative

congested growth to improve the airflow. Also minimise the use of high-nitrogen fertilisers, as these lead to lots of soft, leafy growth, which is vulnerable to an attack. Get rid of weeds as they can spread the fungus.Spray ornamental plants

sit outside for a cuppa, or every time I kneel down to tend some plants or remove some weeds, one (or six or more) nips up my legs and bites me where it hurts. My legs are positively screaming on bad days. And then, to top it all, the horseflies

. They advocate the no-dig technique in which a thick mulch is applied to the soil surface every year. This could help prevent weed seeds from emerging as it prevents light from reaching them. Now that does sound like a good idea!

. The end result was that I had to pay someone to take it back to where it came from. Another waste of money and another member of the local horsey community who thinks I'm crazy!This stuff is different: free from junk, seemingly weed-free and a good texture

.Types to sow now include crimson clover, fenugreek, field lupins - even broad beans. They germinate and grow quickly and reduce weed growth. Flowering varieties even attract bees and beneficial insects.Nothing could be simpler, and the green manures help break

or garden weeds for good measure, just in case you thought it was all a bit too idyllic.It's been a week or so since I last popped up to the plot and things have grown hugely in that time. Some plants have gone over already - the last couple of leeks have

by the tendency of these little birds to strip yellow flowers, such as crocus, but so what? And don't forget that the adults not only eat weed seeds, but they also feed their young with insects and their larvae. All-in-all, sparrows are a delight and a help

the warmth generated by decomposing matter.Then I found a hedgehog. I don't know which of us was more surprised when I nearly ran it down with a wheelbarrow full of weeds. We both stopped dead (I'd spotted him beneath the barrow as I could barely see over