Making compost
Composting kitchen and garden waste is a great, free way of improving the soil in your garden. Follow our guide to making the perfect compost mix. Choose a compost bin - a range is available to suit different sizes of garden. Combine soft green ... [... more]
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Dealing with weeds
Most weeds are easy to eradicate if spotted early enough and can be controlled without the use of chemicals. Mulch borders with an 8cm (3in) layer of bark mulch to prevent weeds from colonising. Cover large areas of bare soil with plastic, ... [... more]
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Propagating plants by layering
Propagating plants and shrubs by layering is an easy way of creating new plants for free. Follow our guide and share your favourite plants with friends and family. Use a knife to make a slanting cut through the underside of the stem at a leaf ... [... more]
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How to prune trees
To ensure the best health, shape and size of garden trees, follow our pruning guide. Most deciduous trees are best pruned when dormant, in late autumn or winter. Don't prune in late winter or early spring, as many trees bleed sap if cut at this ... [... more]
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Harvesting apples
If you store your apples properly, you'll be able to enjoy them throughout the winter. Autumn is the time for harvesting apples as they need to be picked and stored before the first frosts. From September onwards, pick apples when they're ripe ... [... more]
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Growing cabbages and brassicas
How to grow cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts and kale from seed successfully. Brassicas grow best in a partially-shaded spot that has fertile, free-draining soil, free from stones. Start digging your soil in late autumn and add ... [... more]
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Growing leeks
With their compact, bolt upright growth, leeks are the ideal crop to squeeze into bare patches on an allotment or in a border. Here's how to grow this stalwart of the vegetable patch. Dig the soil for planting in the winter, adding plenty of ... [... more]
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Growing chicory
This bitter leaved salad plant is really easy to grow in the soil, raised beds or pots. Sow seed in early summer and you'll have lots of tasty pickings from autumn to early winter. Here's how. Prepare soil the winter before sowing, digging well ... [... more]
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Growing strawberries
Strawberries take up hardly any room, produce attractive flowers and delicious fruit, and are easy to maintain. Follow our advice on growing your own. Prepare the soil by digging over, removing any perennial weeds and adding manure. Place the ... [... more]
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Grow courgettes and squash
Quick and easy to grow, courgettes and squash are among the most productive vegetables in the garden. Follow our guide for a plentiful supply through summer and autumn. Fill a 7.5cm (3in) pot with compost and firm gently. Place one seed on its ... [... more]
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Growing aubergines, chillies and peppers
Aubergines, chillies and sweet peppers are ideal plants for pots and growing from seed is foolproof. All three of these delicious crops are grown in the same way and there are lots of great varieties to choose from. Fill a 7.5cm pot with seed ... [... more]
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Grow cut flowers
Buying cut flowers can be costly, so why not try growing your own in the garden? Whether you give them a dedicated space or mix them into a border display, it's easy to raise lots of flowers for a constant supply of fresh blooms. Sow half hardy ... [... more]
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