Get Growing - Top Tips

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When it comes to gardening, there are no set rules. There are plenty of books and guides, but what works for one person might not work for another. That’s why, we’ve gathered loads of top tips from gardeners up and down the country. So you can experiment in the garden and find out what works best for you. Take a look at the tips by using the search function below.

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Grow your own Weeds & Pests Composting Watering Getting Started Planting & Pruning

Plant labels - in the house

Keep plant labels in the house. If left on the plant they will fade, break or disappear

Melons and cucumbers in the compost pils

Plant melons and cucumbers in the compost pile - warm, moist, nutrient-rich compost seems to bring out the best in them!

Planting garlic

When planting garlic, slightly crush the clove to increase the flavour and put off flying insects.

Squirrels digging spring bulbs

To prevent squirrels digging up your spring bulbs, wrap each one in chicken wire before planting - the shoots can come through, but the squirrels can't get in.

Potting up plants

When potting up plants make sure your pots are well cleaned from the previous plant to prevent any fungus or virus attacking new pot resident

November is the time to plant

November is the best time to plant rose plants

Planting strawberries

Plant through sheets of black plastic to stop weeds, make the soil moist and warm and keep the fruits clean so you get an earlier crop

Cutworms

Keep cutworms away from seedlings with the cardboard centres of toilet paper rolls

Beer in a jam jar

To deal with slugs, put a jam jar in the ground with beer in it - they'll then be attracted to it instead of your plants and drown in alcoholic heaven

Squirrels digging spring bulbs

To prevent squirrels digging up your spring bulbs, wrap each one in chicken wire before planting - the shoots can come through, but the squirrels can't get in.

Builders merchants bags make good containers

Large bags used by builders merchants for delivering sand, gravel etc make good containers for leaves to make leaf mould, or for transporting prunings, weeds etc.

Large seedlings

Rather than direct sowing, start with large seedlings grown on the windowsill or purchased at a nursery for quick results especially in cold climates

Melons and cucumbers in the compost pils

Plant melons and cucumbers in the compost pile - warm, moist, nutrient-rich compost seems to bring out the best in them!

Grass in compost heap

Grass clippings can be composted or used as a garden mulch

Tomato tips

Tomatoes are especially needy plants, check they have enough water every day and feed once a week with Tomato food.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

fruit, vegetables and herbs will thrive in a raised bed filled wtih equal amounts of topsoil and well-rotted organic material

Planting strawberries

Plant through sheets of black plastic to stop weeds, make the soil moist and warm and keep the fruits clean so you get an earlier crop

Strawberries in a jar

If you're growing strawberries in a jar, put a piece of platic pipe down the middle before filling it with compost. This allows water to reach the plants easily at the bottom of the container.

Great winter covers

Old cardboard boxes make great winter covers to keep the weeds down.

Keeping garden rubbish dry

Cover your garden rubbish in Autumn if you are planning to burn it. Once it gets wet it never dries out

Seed sharing

There are usually lots of seeds in a packet, team up with a friend/s, agree what to grow and swap the excess plants

Ground cover - retain moisture

Ground cover can also help to keep the moisture in the soil by stopping it from drying out from direct sunlight.

Tumbling tomato

Buy tumbling tomato varietals and plant them in hanging baskets in the garden. More fun and less ugly than canes in grow-bags.

Fresh Salad leaves

For lots of fresh salad leaves, just cut a long panel in the top of a grow bag and sow rows of your favourites across it.

Strawberries in hanging basket

Try planting strawberries in hanging baskets - it keeps the fruit clean and makes strawberries really easy to pick

Large seedlings

Rather than direct sowing, start with large seedlings grown on the windowsill or purchased at a nursery for quick results especially in cold climates

Cutworms

Keep cutworms away from seedlings with the cardboard centres of toilet paper rolls

Vegetable garden tepee

Add height to a vegetable garden with a tepee covered with bean and pea vines. This space saver works similarly to a trellis but has a different look

Melons and cucumbers in the compost pils

Plant melons and cucumbers in the compost pile - warm, moist, nutrient-rich compost seems to bring out the best in them!

Old CDs to bamboo canes

Tie old CDs onto string and bamboo canes to fighten away pigeons - old foil cake cases work too!

Natural bulbs

To make bulbs look more natural, plant them in small pots in the autumn and then plant out in January, this way you can see where to put them and avoid digging where you planted in previous years.

Stop you poking your eye out - yoghurt pot

Small pro-biotic yoghurt pots are perfect for sticking on garden canes to stop you poking your eye out.

Worms

Worms in your lawn can be added to your beds to enrich the soil. To find them, pour some soapy water onto the lawn, and wait twenty minutes.

Builders merchants bags make good containers

Large bags used by builders merchants for delivering sand, gravel etc make good containers for leaves to make leaf mould, or for transporting prunings, weeds etc.

Plant labels - in the house

Keep plant labels in the house. If left on the plant they will fade, break or disappear

Seed sharing

There are usually lots of seeds in a packet, team up with a friend/s, agree what to grow and swap the excess plants

Wheelbarrow and leaf raking

When raking up leaves put a large bag (the type used by builders with handles) in the wheelbarrow, you can collect more that way and they don't fall out all the time when wheeling them to the pile.

Propogate your peas outside

Use a long piece of guttering with holes, covered in clingfilm, to propogate your peas outside.

Tumbling tomato

Buy tumbling tomato varietals and plant them in hanging baskets in the garden. More fun and less ugly than canes in grow-bags.

Plastic tray uses

Save plastic trays such as the ones mushrooms are packed in, pierce holes in base, fill with compost and sow mixed lettuce in them. Keep moist and stand outside in the shade.

Easy vegetables to grow

Start off by growing easy vegetables like runner beans, courgettes and tomatoes

Start peas, runner beans and broad beans in small pots

Rather than planting peas, broad beans and runner beans direct in to the soil, start them off in small pots in the greenhouse and plant out when 3ins high. They will be less prone to weather, slugs and bird damage.

Fresh Salad leaves

For lots of fresh salad leaves, just cut a long panel in the top of a grow bag and sow rows of your favourites across it.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

fruit, vegetables and herbs will thrive in a raised bed filled wtih equal amounts of topsoil and well-rotted organic material

Strawberries in hanging basket

Try planting strawberries in hanging baskets - it keeps the fruit clean and makes strawberries really easy to pick

Sowing seeds

After sowing seeds, put opened packets in airtight containers and store in a dry-frost-free place to keep them fresh

Large seedlings

Rather than direct sowing, start with large seedlings grown on the windowsill or purchased at a nursery for quick results especially in cold climates

Cutworms

Keep cutworms away from seedlings with the cardboard centres of toilet paper rolls

Sprawling beans, cucumbers and melons

To stop beans, cucumbers and melons sprawling across the ground, plant them vertically - it'll save you space and look nice as they grow up the trellis

Vegetable garden tepee

Add height to a vegetable garden with a tepee covered with bean and pea vines. This space saver works similarly to a trellis but has a different look

Old CDs to bamboo canes

Tie old CDs onto string and bamboo canes to fighten away pigeons - old foil cake cases work too!

Beer in a jam jar

To deal with slugs, put a jam jar in the ground with beer in it - they'll then be attracted to it instead of your plants and drown in alcoholic heaven

Encourage birds in your garden

Encourage birds in your garden to deal with snails. When you hear a 'tap-tap' noise, it will be a thrush cracking the snail shell on a stone.

Attract Frogs, toads, and hedgehogs

It's a good idea to attract frogs, toads and hedgehogs into your garden - they'll nt only eat the slugs and snails, but also all manner of bug eggs

Planting garlic

When planting garlic, slightly crush the clove to increase the flavour and put off flying insects.

Natural bulbs

To make bulbs look more natural, plant them in small pots in the autumn and then plant out in January, this way you can see where to put them and avoid digging where you planted in previous years.

Bring plants indoors in winter

Some of the easiest plants to maintain indoors are coleus, geranium, begonia, and ivy. Replant them in containers and give them plenty of dirt to keep them healthy. Keep them watered and enjoy your plants for longer each year.

Strawberries in a jar

If you're growing strawberries in a jar, put a piece of platic pipe down the middle before filling it with compost. This allows water to reach the plants easily at the bottom of the container.

Free strawberry plants

Get free plants by allowing some of your plants to produce runners or offshoots. Once baby plants have produced roots they can be detached from the main plant and put in a pot, or replanted in the strawberry bed.

The British strawberry season

The British strawberry season is really short, so to make it last longer pick early, mid and late fruiting varieties - that way you can eat strawberries from June-August!

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