Did you know that if your garlic doesn't get a long cold spell it will never form bulbs? Now that the Store has garlic for planting you can research what will make it grow well. General advice seems to be a several weeks in the fridge followed by deep planting in well drained soil. You can use onion fertiliser as you prepare the bed. There's a mass of information online, but try the Garlic Farm or the RHS advice or watch on Youtube here .

Small space and container planting and companion planting are interesting features on a visit to the rooftop farm. ‘3 Sisters’ planting is sweetcorn planted next to french beans that will climb up the corn stems and squash planted in between the corn to give a beneficial effect from nitrogen fixing. All the crops benefit. The varieties you use do matter, for instance a large and rampant squash would be very difficult to control in a container. Three Sisters Planting French be

The size of soil particles determines drainage, aeration, susceptibility to erosion, its capacity to hold water, and the speed at which organic matter breaks down. Gardeners notice the work it takes to obtain a good tilth on the soil. Plants are affected chemically when the size of the soil particles affects its capacity to exchange cations (CEC) and its pH buffering capacity. Soil structure concerns how soil particles are aggregated together and can be improved or destroyed

Site 3 Rhubarb Most sources say don’t pick after July – but my rhubarb keeps going happily through August. Split and move after September. Freezing – store up to 8 months. Find out more from Don Tipping, Organic farmer... here