How-to guides

The plant and crop pages tell you what to do and when. These guides explain how: the hands-on techniques that come up again and again, from the first cut with a pair of secateurs to turning kitchen peelings into crumbly compost. Each one starts with the short version, then goes into the detail and the mistakes worth avoiding.

• Lawn care through the year: a UK calendar

  Mow little and often from March to October, never taking more than a third of the height. Feed lightly in spring, let grass go brown in drought, and do the heavy work of scarifying, aerating and overseeding in September.

  Beginner30–60 minutes a week in the growing season, plus a weekend in autumn

• Making compost: a simple guide for UK gardens

  Mix roughly equal volumes of soft green waste and dry brown material, keep the heap as damp as a wrung-out sponge, turn it when you can, and expect usable compost in six to twelve months.

  Beginner20 minutes to set up, then 10 minutes a week

• Mulching: what to use, when and how deep

  Spread 5 to 8 cm of organic mulch such as compost, leaf mould or bark over moist, weeded soil in late winter or autumn. Keep it clear of stems, top up yearly and never mulch dry or frozen ground.

  BeginnerAbout 10 minutes per square metre

• Planting bare-root trees, shrubs and hedges

  Plant bare-root stock between November and March while it is dormant, never into frozen or waterlogged soil. Soak the roots, plant at the original soil mark, firm well, stake trees low and water through the first summer.

  Beginner20–40 minutes per tree; about 1 hour per 5 m of hedge

• Pruning basics: when and how to prune shrubs

  Prune spring-flowering shrubs straight after flowering and late-summer bloomers in early spring. Remove dead, damaged and crossing wood first, cut just above a bud, and never take more than a third in one go.

  Beginner15–45 minutes per shrub

• Sowing seeds indoors: a step-by-step guide

  Sow in fresh seed compost in clean pots, cover lightly, keep warm and just moist, then move seedlings into the brightest light as soon as they appear. Prick out at the first true leaves and harden off before planting out.

  Beginner30 minutes to sow, then a few minutes a day for 6–8 weeks

• Taking cuttings: softwood, semi-ripe and hardwood

  Take soft tip cuttings in spring, semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and hardwood cuttings in late autumn and winter. Use healthy, non-flowering shoots, a gritty compost and a cool, bright spot, and keep softwood cuttings humid.

  Intermediate20–30 minutes per batch; weeks to months to root

• Watering in a heatwave: what to water first and how

  Water early in the morning or in the evening, soak the roots rather than sprinkling the leaves, and put new plants, pots, seedlings and fruiting crops first. Established shrubs and brown lawns can usually wait.

  Beginner15–60 minutes a day during hot spells, depending on pots