GARDENING: Jobs for the weekend with Brian Kidd

'¢Water early potatoes with Maxicrop Complete liquid fertiliser allowing three weeks before gently removing some soil from the ridges.  You should see little potatoes. Pull off a few leaving the plant to grow on. If dry, start watering as soon as the potatoes come into flower and you will increase the size of the crop.

'¢Stop ants climbing trees by putting a band of grease around the trunk.

'¢Trim the edges of the lawn every time you mow.

'¢Each time you add a four-inch layer of mowings to the compost bin add either two ounces of sulphate of ammonia or one part urine to seven parts water.

'¢Remove side shoots on tomatoes and give the plants a quick shake at lunchtime every day to ensure pollen falls on to the flowers.

'¢Give tomatoes a drink of calcium nitrate to prevent blossom end rot.

'¢Dust a ring of ant powder around tomato stems to stop woodlice climbing them to eat the fruits.

'¢Take the tops out of chrysanthemums growing as spray blooms.

'¢Sow another batch of maincrop peas in insert cells. If you cover these with fleece once they are planted outdoors you won't get maggots in the peas.

'¢Sow just a few lettuces such as Salad Bowl. You just cut the leaves off these and leave the plants.

'¢Did you sow some runner beans? If not, why not? They look wonderful on wigwam shapes comprising eight-foot high canes in the flower border.

'¢Try some capillary matting so your plants will remain watered while you are on holiday. Buy a piece the size of a tea towel. Fill the sink with water ensuring the matting is well down in the sink and put the pot plants on the drainer. It does work and the plants are, never over-watered'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹.