Gardening: Your jobs for the weekend with Brian Kidd

Our gardening expert’s weekly to-do list
Collect manure from stables.Collect manure from stables.
Collect manure from stables.

• Set up seed potato tubers in trays somewhere light and frost-free. They need to be able to shoot. Egg cartons inside seed trays are ideal because the tubers won’t keep falling over. You should see tiny buds, so stand the tubers so these buds are uppermost. Look at the tubers occasionally just in case some are upside down. Remember, the shoots need to be in the light because planted with strong shoots, the crop will be much better.

• Concentrate on producing as much garden compost as possible. This can be used as a top dressing when you earth up the potatoes in summer.

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• See if you can find stables where there may be manure available. If you are short of space, leave the manure in bags so it can rot down. Mixed with compost from the compost heap, this is another good material to use to earth up potatoes next summer and can also reduce the problem of potato scab which leaves marks on new potatoes.

• If you usually order flower and vegetables as plugs, this is the best time to place your order because orders are set up in date order. By ordering early you can be assured of receiving what you want rather than being offered a substitute.

• We are now enjoying two extra minutes of light each evening. It may be cold but there is more strength in the sun and this is reflected in the garden.

• Ease the soil around bulbs and spring bedding. This will help new foliage emerge with ease. A hand-held garden fork is ideal for this job.

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• Take dead leaves off the base of Christmas rose (helleborus) plants and scatter sharp sand around the plant to prevent blooms being splashed with mud.

• Make sure the birds have clean water every day.

• Did you buy some wild bird seed? If you did, then you are enjoying these delightful visitors who look

forward to visiting your garden.​​​​​​​

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