As the weather allows, newly planted baskets, containers and so on can be placed outside but should brought in at night. Never just assume there wont be a late frost. Gro-bags and frames are ideal for outdoor tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. Feeding is also important so make sure you pickup some plant food as well. The food analysis will be given as percentages of NPK. Different percentages will do different things. 'N' (nitrogen) will give lots of leaf, 'P' (potash) will give good fruits and flowers, and 'K' (phosphate) will give good roots. A typical food for tomatoes and flowers will be 15:30:15 as NPK. Bonemeal for instance has an emphasis on phosphate for root development and is used for trees and shrubs. Foods come in many forms including sticks that can be placed in the soil around the plant for prolonged and metered feeding. Tomatoes grown under glass will need their side-shoots pinched out. Feeding can start when they have set the first truss. As they continue to set more trusses look out for magnesium deficiency in the leaves. This can be corrected with Epsom salts and watered in.

Gladioli, Begonias, Lilies and Cannas can be planted now but I would still advise starting them off in small fibre or peat pots until they have a good root system on them before they go in to the soil outside. The soil is still a bit too cold and wet for direct planting of many things so although it can be a bit tedious, it will save disappointment later. Stagger the planting of the Gladioli to extend the flowering period. Place stakes or canes in the soil before you plant.

Clematis Montana (below left) can be cut back now or after it has flowered. Under normal circumstances you would enjoy the flowering, then cut it back as hard as necessary. It is easier to determine what is alive and what is dead when there is new growth. Montana is the most widely known early flowering clematis, but there are now more of the alpine clematis being sold in garden centres and nurseries which are even earlier than the Montana. Apart from the mauve one (below right) there are also pink, yellow, and blue.

Sweet peas that were started earlier in the year will be ready to set out. Construct some sort of support, a wigwam made of bamboo canes works well. Pinch out the tips when they are 6'' tall ensuring they break and produce more shoots. To extend the flowering a second sowing can be made now in trays and planted out into the open ground in the next couple of weeks. Remember to soak the seeds overnight, this will speed up the germination.

Strawberry plants will need either a strawberry mat around them or straw together with some form of netting to protect them. If space is a premium then use a strawberry pot. Use a 50/50 mix of peat base compost and John Innes No. 3. Don't forget to put some crocks at the bottom of the pot for drainage. Feed regularly when the fruit has set and look out for red spider mite, aphis and grey mould on the fruits.

Aphids
Coming in a variety of colours ranging from black, white, yellow and green, they all attack in principally the same way. Primarily they will take sap from the host plant causing a variety of conditions including mottling of leaves/flowers, distortion, discoloration of leaves, often exuding a sticky sap. Control or prevention can be executed using systemic insecticides - these go inside the plant and the aphid will draw the chemical into its own body via the sap from the plant. When applying systemics, apply with care as they can be harmful to useful insects such as bees, lacewings and ladybirds. They are best applied in the evening when these insects are less active. Effective organic insecticides include pyrethrum and derris. Pirimicarb is another selective insecticide that is specific in controlling only aphids, it leaves bees, ladybirds etc. unharmed.

Vine Weevil
Damage occurs from both the larvae and the adult. The larval damage occurs in the autumn in the ground - they feed on the roots of many plants, which will be manifested as slow, or little growth in the spring, wilting or eventual death of the plant. In the spring the adults emerge at night and eat irregular edges of leaves. Control is not easy but there are several new products on the market that have shown increased effectiveness against them. The predominant one being Provado marketed by PBI. Biological control has also become available in the form of pathogenic nematodes and has been quite successful.

Lily Beetle
These are bright red in colour with black heads. They tend to live mainly in the south of the UK preferring a warmer climate. As you would expect, these are seen mostly on plants within the lily family. Lily's and Fritillaries are usually attacked from early spring through to summer. Plant damage is usually leaves, flowers and seedpods being eaten. The fact that they cover themselves with their own excrement makes control difficult. In small areas of attack the beetles can be picked off and destroyed - at the first sign of damage, spray with Polysect or Bio Provado Ultimate. After about a month of living off your prize plants, they will move into the soil to pupate. In the autumn a soil drench of insecticide will be necessary to try and kill off the grubs.

Happy Gardening,