Herbarium

How to prep a bed between seasons

Preparing a bed after clearing a finished crop sets it up for a productive next season. Takes an hour and pays off all season.

How to test your soil

A basic soil pH test takes ten minutes and tells you whether your beds need adjustment before the next planting. Most edible crops do best in slightly acid to neutral soil.

Protecting crops from frost

A few degrees of frost can destroy weeks of growth. Knowing which crops need cover and how to apply it quickly makes the difference.

Watering: when and how much

Most watering problems come from watering too often and too shallowly. Deep, infrequent watering builds stronger root systems and wastes less water.

Identifying and responding to crop problems

Catching problems early is the most effective intervention. Most issues follow recognisable patterns - knowing what to look for saves crops.

Growing tomatoes successfully

Tomatoes reward careful attention to warmth, support, and sideshot removal. Most failures come from cold stress or letting plants become too congested.

Getting carrots to germinate and grow straight

Carrots are slow to germinate and unforgiving of poor soil preparation. Most problems - forked roots, poor stands - are preventable with the right bed preparation.

Dealing with slugs

Slugs cause the most damage at night and in wet conditions. A few targeted habits will cut losses without needing chemicals.

Dealing with aphids

Aphids multiply fast but are rarely fatal if caught early. The response should be proportionate - low numbers often resolve without intervention.

Getting the best from Sungold tomatoes

Sungold is exceptionally vigorous and productive but punishes neglect. It needs consistent sideshot removal and feeding to stay manageable and fruit well.

Growing Fly Away carrots

Fly Away reduces carrot fly risk without netting, but it is not immune. Understanding where its resistance comes from helps you use it correctly.

Harvesting courgettes without losing momentum

The key to a productive courgette plant is harvesting frequently. Miss a few days and you have a marrow. Here is what to look for and when.

Harvesting tomatoes: cherry, plum, and vine types

Different tomato types ripen differently and respond to different cues. Knowing when and how to pick keeps production going and prevents splits and disease.

Harvesting lettuce: cut-and-come-again vs whole head

Lettuce is one of the easiest crops to harvest badly. Cutting too deep, waiting too long, or missing bolting signs all end the harvest early.

Harvesting beans at the right moment

Beans picked too late become tough and stringy. Regular picking is also the main driver of continued production - a plant left to set seed stops flowering.

Harvesting kale to keep plants productive

Kale is a cut-and-come-again crop that can provide harvests from autumn through to spring. How you pick determines how long the plant keeps going.

Harvesting cucumbers before they turn yellow

Cucumbers grow quickly and need frequent checking. A fruit left too long turns yellow, becomes bitter, and signals the plant to slow down.

Harvesting potatoes: new, maincrop, and storing

Potatoes signal their readiness through foliage die-back. Getting the timing right and curing tubers properly extends storage life dramatically.

Harvesting beetroot at the right size

Beetroot is ready earlier than most growers expect. Left too long, roots become woody and the flavour coarsens. Size is the main guide, not time.

Harvesting strawberries and managing runners

Strawberries need picking every one to two days at peak season. Missing a day can mean rotting fruit and a signal to the plant to slow down.

Harvesting and curing garlic

The harvest window for garlic is short and easy to miss. Lifting too late causes the bulb to split in the ground. Curing correctly determines how long it keeps.