Gardening tips

In the flower garden….

• Finish hardening off tender plants, hanging baskets and pots and move them to their final positions.

• Continue to thin out any over crowded hardy annuals.

• Lift and divide clumps of snowdrops and bluebells after they’ve turned yellow.

• Pinch out the tips of fuchsias to encourage a bushy habit and more flowers.

• Start to pick sweet peas as soon as flowers appear to encourage more blooms.

• Stake tall perennials to prevent wind damage.

• Tie in new shoots on climbing plants to their supports.

• Prune out overcrowded or dead stems of evergreen clematis once they have finished flowering.

In the vegetable garden…

• Continue to earth up potato plants as they grow.

• Pinch out any side shoots from tomato plants. Start to feed once the first truss has set.

• Harvest salad crops and resow every 2 weeks for a constant supply of tasty leaves.

• When planting out cabbages, use brassica collars to prevent cabbage root fly attack.

• Harvest first early potatoes when they are ready. (Usually 10 weeks after planting).

• Keep an eye on your garlic and onions. When the leaves start to yellow and die back, they’re ready to harvest.

• If you haven’t already, finish hardening off and plant tender vegetables such as squash, tomatoes and sweetcorn.

• Protect crops from carrot fly by covering with horticultural fleece.

In the fruit garden…

• It will soon be time to start pruning your plum and cherry trees.

• Although fruit trees will naturally shed some fruit (called the ‘June drop’), aim to thin out congested branches further for bigger and better fruits.

• Protect any developing fruits from birds and squirrels by placing netting around your plants.

• If you are growing fruit in containers, remember to give them a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy and productive.

• Top-dress patio dwarf fruit trees with fresh compost and a slow-release fertiliser.

• Peg down runners on strawberries to create more plants for next year. If you don’t need more plants then remove the runners completely.

• Always water potted blueberries with rainwater.

Looking after your lawn…

Keep newly seeded or turfed lawns well watered.

Warm weather encourages rapid weed growth – apply specific lawn weed killer to tackle them.

Feed your lawn with a special lawn fertiliser to encourage healthy green growth.

Recut lawn edges, or install lawn edging to make future maintenance easier.