Slugs and snails will turn a bed of seedlings into stems overnight. Metaldehyde baits work but are toxic to pets, birds and wildlife. The good news: there are several effective organic options — iron phosphate baits, c

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. They need calcium for cell walls (no calcium, hello blossom end rot), potassium for fruit set, magnesium for chlorophyll, and a steady stream of nitrogen for foliage. The right liquid feed giv

A lawn under trees is the hardest place to grow grass. The shade kills sun-loving turf varieties, the tree roots compete for water, and fallen leaves smother seedlings before they establish. The right seed mix changes th

A backyard wheelbarrow does not need to be the contractor-grade beast you see on building sites. For most home gardens, you want something light enough to manoeuvre between raised beds, tough enough for one cubic metre o

A wheelbarrow is fine for one or two trips. For shifting a cubic metre of mulch from the driveway to the back garden, a four-wheel garden cart is faster, kinder on your back, and dumps where you ask it to. The right cart

Pruning roses without proper gauntlets is a guaranteed afternoon of bandaids. Modern goatskin and pig-grain rose gloves run from the fingertip up to the elbow, taking on hawthorn, blackberry and even unmaintained old cli