Take tender cuttings

Tender plants are no longer safe from frost outside in any part of the UK. Those grown as annuals, such as tagetes and petunias can be composted or discarded.

If you want to use pelargoniums, fuchsias and heliotropes again next year there are two options. The first is to pot up mature plants, trim away excess growth and bring them into a greenhouse or conservatory. They could be feature plants next year.

The second is to root cuttings now for planting out next May. All but begonias are easily raised from small cuttings. Gather those as soon as you can, taking only the young shoots, preferably with no flowers.

When you have seed trays or pots handy, fill them with fast-draining potting compost. You can improve drainage further by adding extra coarse horticultural sand.

remove any unopened flower buds from your cuttings and make a clean cut, preferably across a joint where the lowest leaf was attached. Insert each cutting into the compost. Water thoroughly.

Cuttings will root rapidly if the pots are placed in a heated propagator. You can buy one for as little as £13, but there are large and better models under £40. The compost will be kept at about 20c — ideal for fast rooting.