Your garden

Vegetables

Potatoes for harvesting in December can be planted in August if the soil can be worked easily.

In smaller gardens, concentrating on early varieties makes sense, as they are ready to harvest when shopbought new potatoes are expensive.

Most early varieties do not store well, so for midseason crops it is better to choose a good keeper, such as Maris Anchor, which can be used as a new potato but matures into a useful allpurpose tuber.

Because potatoes are subtropical plants, they are susceptible to frost damage. Protect early shoots by covering them with large flower pots, pea straw or frost cloth. Sudden thawing ruptures leaf tissues and irreparable damage can result.

When other vegetables are described as being early, it usually means they mature in a shorter time. Early carrots, for instance, are those that produce shorter or round roots, such as Parmex, and will be ready for eating about 75 days after seed is sown, compared with 100 days for larger types such as Topweight.

Early white turnips, including the Japanese variety hakurei, lettuces and radishes can be sown now in sheltered gardens that face the north or northeast. Jerusalem artichokes

(Helianthustuberosus) are a good vegetable for the beginner, as they require little attention and will produce a reasonable crop even in poor soils. Their only drawback is a tendency to become invasive, popping up from the tiniest piece of tuber left after harvesting. Plant tubers 30cm apart and 15cm deep in rows 1m apart. They will grow to more than 2m tall and produce attractive yellow flowers.

Rhubarb roots can be planted now in rich soil. Plants (crowns) are set 1m apart, just deep enough for the bud to be level with the ground surface. Rhubarb can also be grown from seed in spring or autumn.

Brussels sprouts can be sown now for planting out in the first week of December. Early planting is important in southern districts, as growth slows early and plants that have not reached 70cm to 1m in height by autumn will have poor crops.

Cabbage and cauliflower plants can be planted now. Most soils will suit cabbages, but cauliflowers demand rich soil and a warmer climate than broccoli.

Onions can be sown as soon as the soil starts warming. Tip: Look for fresh weed growth, a signal that soil temperatures are rising.

Onions need to be in early to allow bulbs to develop to a good size before the days shorten at the end of January. Sow seeds thinly and not more than 1cm deep.

Leeks for planting out later are usually sown on a seed bed of rich soil. Adding some coarse river sand will encourage a good root system.

Shallots and garlic can still be planted in wellmanured soils, spacing cloves at 15cm in rows 30cm to 40cm apart.

Beetroot is best sown at this time of the year under cloches or in a warm position. Use a small variety, such as Bonny Baby, and use when the roots are no bigger than a golf ball. Beetroot likes a welllimed soil and needs plenty of potash. Each corklike seed is actually a cluster of one to four seeds, so seedlings will need thinning.

Flowers

Hardy annuals snapdragons

(Antirrhinum), lobelia, phlox and dianthus may be sown under glass, while larkspurs, clarkias, cornflowers, godetias and loveinamist (Nigella), which are even tougher, should germinate outdoors in milder areas.

Lawns sown in autumn are likely to need some attention. Frosts may have lifted the young grass, so a light pressing will be needed to firm the roots back into the ground. A board on the grass is an easy way to do this when the surface is dry.

When young grass seems ready to be mowed, set mower blades higher than usual. Keep the catcher on the mower so clippings do not fall on the ground and deprive the young plants of light and sunshine.

Weeds in gravel paths should be destroyed. Regularly hoe them out before seeds are set, pour boiling water over them or apply salt or a commercial weedkiller, as long as they will not drain into the garden. Better still, keep gravel and limechip paths raked and weeds will be a rarity.

Fruit

If fruit trees have not yet been pruned, this should be done as soon as possible, as already earlyflowering trees will be showing signs of bursting into bud. Use clean, sharp pruners.