How to Boost Your Tomato Harvest in July with the Right Pruning

Watering and feeding aren’t enough for a heavy tomato crop in midsummer. July pruning helps channel energy into fruit, improves airflow, and reduces disease pressure.

5 min read

June brings an invasion of a banned plant into gardens reporting it can save you from a fine

Giant hogweed is one of the most dangerous invasive plants, spreading fast and suppressing everything around it. In June the risk rises, and if it turns up on your land, reporting and prompt control can help you avoid penalties.

5 min read

Abundant Geranium Blooming Is No Accident, But the Result of a Few Small Details

Geraniums bloom their best when a few simple care steps work together. Give them plenty of light, sensible watering, a quality potting mix, and occasional feeding for weeks of colour.

5 min read

A Simple Feeding Fix for Peppers That Boosts Flowering and Increases Fruit Set

Peppers can be heavy feeders, especially when growth stalls and flowering is slow. These easy organic feeds help strengthen roots, improve fruit set, and support healthier plants without synthetic fertilisers.

5 min read

High temperatures don’t suit gooseberries and the fruit softens and drops

During heatwaves, gooseberries often soften, shrink and drop before they’re fully ripe. Deep watering, temporary shading and keeping the root zone cool help the berries stay firm.

5 min read

Watch out for a new tick species in the Czech Republic

The giant Hyalomma tick has been recorded in the Czech countryside, most often arriving via migratory birds and benefiting from warmer, longer seasons. It’s not a widespread invasion, but it’s worth knowing how to recognise it and how to protect yourself.

5 min read

How to protect this year’s heavy plum crop from plum moth and brown rot at the right time

A heavy plum set can quickly be spoiled by plum moth larvae and the brown rot that follows. The key is spotting the right moment to act and keeping strict orchard hygiene.

5 min read

The Turning Point in Growing Cucumbers That Decides a Heavy Harvest

Cucumbers reward steady warmth, moisture and feeding with long, heavy picking. The biggest gains often come from one key moment after planting, when you guide early growth instead of letting the plant fruit too soon.

5 min read

Curling tomato leaves after heat or rain, how to adjust watering and prevent damage

Leaf curl is one of the most common issues when growing tomatoes, and it can have several causes—from heat stress and uneven watering to excess nitrogen, nutrient deficiencies, pests, or disease. The key is to read the pattern of curling and respond quickly with the right fix.

5 min read

More Sweet Raspberries from One Cane, Six Proven Tips for Gardeners

Raspberries are easy to grow at home and can crop for years from a single plant. Follow these six practical tips to boost yield, improve flavour and make harvesting easier.

5 min read

Grass clippings don’t have to go to waste use them wisely

Grass clippings are packed with nutrients and can be reused as lawn feed, compost material, or a quick liquid fertiliser. The key is avoiding thick mats that smother the turf and create bare, brown patches.

5 min read

How to Get Your Chicken Coop Ready for Summer So Hens Can Handle Heat and Parasites

As spring turns to summer, heat and parasites can quickly undermine laying performance and flock health. A few timely coop and run upgrades will keep hens cooler, cleaner, and less stressed through the hottest weeks.

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Larkspur Like a Catalogue Star A Practical Growing Guide for Every Garden

Larkspur brings tall, elegant flower spikes and airy foliage to beds and cottage gardens. Learn the best light, soil, watering and aftercare to keep it flowering strongly and healthy.

5 min read

For a Pesticide-Free Harvest, Use Trap Plants for Garden Pests

Trap plants lure aphids, bugs and slugs away from your vegetables so you can keep pests contained and often avoid spraying. With good timing and the right choices, they also support beneficial insects and a healthier garden balance.

5 min read

How to Save a Yellowing, Dying Lawn During Hot, Rain-Free Weather

Long dry spells and high temperatures can leave even well-maintained lawns stressed, yellow, and thinning. Microclover is a simple way to thicken turf and improve drought tolerance with less feeding.

5 min read

How to Tell When Garlic Is Ready to Harvest and What to Do with Flower Stalks

Learn the key signs that garlic is ready to lift, how to cure it for long storage, and why removing scapes on hardneck varieties can help you grow bigger bulbs.

5 min read

A Forgotten Plum Like Fruit Is Returning to Gardens and Surprises with Its Practicality

Myrobalan plum, often dismissed as a wilder cousin of the true plum, is making a comeback thanks to its toughness, adaptability and useful fruit. It shines both as a reliable rootstock and as an attractive garden tree with plenty of culinary potential.

5 min read

Four Homemade Tips for Healthy Tomatoes and an Exceptionally Heavy Crop

Tomatoes reward steady care with fuller trusses and better flavour. These simple, home-based feeds and practices can support growth, flowering and ripening without relying on shop-bought mixes.

5 min read

How to Grow Giant Onions That Will Be the Pride of Your Garden

Growing truly large, healthy onions takes more than luck. With the right variety, full sun, balanced feeding, and careful watering, you can harvest impressively big bulbs even in a home bed.

5 min read

Rose Campion Mistake Free Common Missteps and How to Avoid Them

Rose campion is a striking, silver-leaved perennial that brings vivid pink colour in mid to late summer and often returns reliably through self-seeding. Learn how to choose the right site, avoid waterlogged soil, and manage self-sown seedlings to keep it under control.

5 min read

Best Time to Prune a Walnut Tree and What to Use for Disease Prevention

Timing is everything when pruning a mature walnut tree. Learn when to cut, how to protect larger wounds, and when copper or sulfur sprays make the most sense for prevention.

5 min read

How to Protect Cucumbers from Powdery Mildew and Save Your Summer Harvest

Powdery mildew is one of the most common cucumber diseases and it can quickly cut your harvest back in late summer. With good spacing, smart watering, and timely treatments, you can slow it down and keep plants cropping for longer.

5 min read

How a Ladybird Lives Through Its Life Cycle and Why to Encourage It in the Garden

Ladybirds go through complete metamorphosis, and their larvae are often even more effective aphid hunters than the adults. Learn how to recognise eggs, larvae, pupae and beetles so you protect allies rather than mistake them for pests.

5 min read

Hardy Geranium Turns Beds and Difficult Spots into a Beautiful Carpet of Flowers

Hardy geraniums are dependable perennials that fit almost any garden style and site. With the right species, they’ll cover bare ground, suppress weeds, and flower generously from sun to shade.

5 min read

A Cheap Home Remedy for Aphids on Roses and Currants That Works Fast

Many growers swear by a simple B-complex tablet solution as a quick, low-cost first aid for aphids on roses, currants, and balcony plants. Used early and repeated, it can help knock back infestations without reaching for stronger products right away.

5 min read

Want Begonias Covered in Flowers, Watering, Light and Feeding Make the Difference

Begonias can flower continuously from early summer until the first frosts, but they only perform at their best with the right light, watering routine and feeding. Learn how to grow tuberous and semperflorens begonias in pots, baskets and beds, and how to overwinter and propagate them successfully.

5 min read

When to Tolerate Weeds in the Garden and When It’s Time to Weed Thoroughly

Weeds show up in almost every garden sooner or later, but not all of them are purely a nuisance. Learn when a few wild plants can actually be useful—and when removing them promptly is the smarter choice.

5 min read

Mulch Smartly and Save Water, Suppress Weeds, and Improve Soil Structure

A well-chosen mulch keeps moisture in the root zone, suppresses weeds, and gradually improves soil health. Learn which materials to use, when to apply them, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

5 min read

Proven natural ways to feed tomatoes and cucumbers for a bumper season

A simple yeast-based feed can strengthen cucumbers and tomatoes, helping plants stay vigorous, crop more reliably, and cope better with disease pressure. Here is how to mix it, dilute it, and use it as both a soil drench and a gentle foliar spray.

5 min read

When a Pear Tree Declines How to Spot Pear Rust and Prevent Further Damage

Pear rust is a fungal disease that needs both pear and juniper to complete its life cycle. Learn how to recognise the tell-tale orange leaf spots and what practical, non-chemical steps help reduce reinfection.

5 min read

The mystery of barren courgettes solved the key issue starts in the flowers

If your courgette plants are leafy but not cropping, the answer is often in the flowers. Learn how male and female blooms work, why insect pollination matters, and how to prevent young fruits from rotting.

5 min read

How to Grow Red Hot Pokers Successfully for Flowers All Summer and Into Autumn

Red hot pokers (Kniphofia) bring bold, torch-like flower spikes in warm shades from summer into early autumn. With full sun and free-draining soil, they’re long-lived, pollinator-friendly perennials that are surprisingly easy to keep going year after year.

5 min read

Want more raspberries Just add one cup at the roots and your canes will reward you with a bigger crop

The weeks before summer largely decide how many raspberries you’ll pick. Focus on a slightly acidic soil, steady moisture and gentle feeding, and your canes will repay you with stronger growth and heavier crops.

5 min read

How to Grow Onions Successfully in the Garden and in Pots at Home

Onions are easy to fit into almost any garden, store for months after harvest, and tend to resist many pests. Give them full sun, fertile free-draining soil, and steady watering for firm, well-sized bulbs.

5 min read

Are Hydrangeas on the Way Out Experts Say What to Plant Instead

Hydrangeas still look spectacular, but increasingly erratic weather can make them harder to grow well. These tougher flowering shrubs offer a similar effect while coping better with heat, drought and frost—and often do more for wildlife too.

5 min read

Hoverflies are neither wasps nor true flies yet almost everyone knows them and they’re useful

Hoverflies are often mistaken for wasps, but they’re harmless visitors to flowers and invaluable allies in the garden. Their larvae can devour huge numbers of aphids and other pests, helping you protect plants naturally and at no cost.

5 min read

Protect Apricots from Frost Summer Pruning Delays Bloom and Can Save the Crop

Apricots bloom early and are easily damaged by late spring frosts. A targeted summer cut known as Šitt’s pruning can slightly delay part of the bloom while improving fruiting wood.

5 min read

Warning for Pepper Growers Curled Leaves Need Fast Help

Crumpled, twisted new leaves on pepper seedlings usually point to sap-sucking pests or a calcium issue. Act quickly with careful inspection and gentle treatments to keep plants growing and fruiting well.

5 min read

A Simple Trick for Geraniums to Grow Fast and Flower All Summer

Geraniums can be wonderfully easy, but young plants often stall after rooting. A simple sugar-water boost, plus pinching and the right light, helps them take off and bloom generously all season.

5 min read

June Fruit Tree Care That Determines Crop Size and Flavour

June is the make-or-break month for fruit trees, shaping both the size and taste of your harvest. With the right watering, feeding, thinning and timely checks for pests and disease, you’ll protect this year’s crop and the tree’s long-term vitality.

5 min read

Yellowing Cucumber Leaves Aren’t Always Disease

When cucumber leaves turn pale or yellow, it’s often a sign the plant is under stress—but the cause isn’t always a disease. Watering issues, low light, nutrient shortages, pests, or simple end-of-season ageing are usually to blame.

5 min read

Biological Plant Protection A Spray Targeting Caterpillars Only

Caterpillars are a recurring problem on tomatoes and brassicas, and many growers turn to Bacillus thuringiensis-based sprays. Here’s how they work and why, when used correctly, they’re considered safe for bees and other beneficial insects.

5 min read

How to Care for a Cherry Tree After Harvest for a Consistently Heavy Crop

With the right siting, summer pruning after harvest, balanced feeding and smart prevention, cherries can crop reliably year after year. Here’s how to keep the tree healthy, well-lit and properly pollinated for better yields.

5 min read

The Forgotten Medlar, an Old Fruit Gem for the Modern Garden

Medlar is a hardy, low-maintenance fruit tree with beautiful spring blossom and unusual autumn fruit that improves after bletting. It suits modern gardens thanks to its resilience, modest size, and distinctive flavour.

5 min read

Effective Mosquito Protection Without Unnecessary Chemicals Indoors and Out

Mosquito bites may be harmless, but they can ruin evenings outdoors and disturb your sleep. Combine physical barriers, smart prevention and gentle repellents to cut bites without overloading your home and garden with chemicals.

5 min read

What You Can Still Plant in June and Still Get a Harvest and Masses of Flowers

June is far from too late to sow and plant. With warm soil and long days, you can still raise fast vegetables, useful herbs and flowers that will bloom right into autumn.

5 min read

An Old Trick to Keep Tomatoes Fresh for Months Without a Fridge

Tomatoes don’t have to go soft and mouldy within days. A traditional method of storing them in fine, dry wood ash can keep them firm and flavourful for weeks, even months—no fridge required.

5 min read

June in the Apple Orchard Will Decide Whether You Harvest Healthy Fruit

Stormy weather, humidity and sudden heat make June the turning point for apple health. Learn how to tell natural June drop from pest or disease damage and what to do in time.

5 min read

How to Combine Arborvitae and Hydrangeas So Other Plants Thrive Nearby

Arborvitae and hydrangeas can share a bed beautifully, but only if you respect their very different demands. Learn which companion plants cope with hydrangea-friendly moisture and which can handle the shade and root competition under arborvitae.

5 min read

The single most important step for a bumper tomato crop you must do on every plant

Letting cordon tomatoes grow unchecked leads to a tangle of shoots, poorer fruit set and smaller harvests. Regularly pinching out side shoots keeps plants healthier and channels energy into bigger, better tomatoes.

5 min read