AllotMate Essentials

Get daffodils in by October and tulips in during November, when the cold soil helps keep disease away. Plant around three times as deep as the bulb is tall.

Keep fleece handy for the first cold nights. Cover tender crops, overwintering veg and pots, and wrap outdoor taps before the hard frosts arrive.

Rake fallen leaves off paths and beds, then bag them up damp. In a year or two you will have free, crumbly leaf mould for mulching and potting.

Keep potatoes, onions and roots somewhere cool, dark and dry, in breathable bags rather than plastic. Check them every few weeks and use any soft ones first.

Broad beans, hardy peas and garlic can all go in now. They root over winter and give you one of the first harvests next spring.

Before you put tools away for winter, scrub off the soil, sharpen the blades and wipe on some oil. They will stay rust-free and be ready for spring.