Prepare a free-draining, sunny and weed-free bed to grow broad beans. Rake in blood, fish and bonemeal fertiliser to give the plants a boost. Plant the seedlings in a row, 15-20cm apart. Dig a hole an

Spread a bulky mulch on top of the soil surface around the base of young apple trees to condition the soil, hold in moisture and suppress weeds. This will all help the tree to establish well. Use well

Work your way through your borders, removing dandelion flowerheads before they get the chance to set seed. Flowers of dandelions are a useful source of early nectar for pollinators but if they are abl

Add support to peonies that have, large, heavy flowers such as ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ and ‘Duchesse de Nemours’. Special tapered, cone-shaped supports for peonies are available and can be simply pushed int

There are some vegetables that thrive in the cold, but unless you aspire to self-sufficiency Tom Coward recommends caution when sowing very early in the year. “It’s a mistake, although we always do it

Lucy highlights some of the most pressing jobs she’ll be tackling this fortnight