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Tips and jobs
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Tips and jobs

Put up bean supports
At last the end of the frosty weather is in sight, and soon it'll be time to sow tender runner, French and borlotti beans outdoors. Get supports in place before the rush: you'll need one pole per three bean plants arranged in wigwams, or in rows tied together with a stabilising pole on top. Hazel rods are traditional, and have just the right amount of knobbly bits: source them from www.coppice-products.co.uk.

Thin out seedlings
The seeds you sowed outside last month are sprouting enthusiastically now, but chances are they'll be a bit too close together. Don't worry: just remove the ones you don't want. Pinch away unwanted seedlings at the base or gently pull them up, though try not to disturb the ones you're leaving in. Thinnings such as carrots, lettuces and turnips make delicious, if tiny, garnishes in salads.

Pot on tender veg
For seedlings indoors, in trays, modules and pots, it's a tricky time: they're growing like topsy, but it's not quite warm enough to plant them outside. Their roots will get cramped and starved and eventually stop growing if you keep them in the same pots, so re-pot them into larger ones as they need it.

Top tips

Team up your veg to make the most of your growing space. Partner tall, slim veg like sweetcorn with ground-covering squash plants or try shade-loving spinach, chicory or beetroot under big leafy plants like Brussels sprouts.
Mix your own salad by putting a pinch of seed from each of your favourite varieties in a bowl and stirring them up. You can then tweak the ingredients till you've got your own personal blend.

Grow perfectly straight carrots by making deep holes with a crowbar where you want each one to grow. Fill with sieved topsoil and sow into the top. Your carrots won't fork in the loose, stone-free soil, producing long, elegant roots.

Give herbs a haircut and they'll throw up fresh green, tender shoots – just what's needed for cooking. Thyme, rosemary, marjoram and mint can all have a quick clip at this time of year.

Tools for the jobs

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